Association of brain cortical changes with efficacy of treatment in patients with chronic neck and shoulder pain: a longitudinal surface-based morphometry study

This study identifies specific morphological alterations characterized by cortical thinning and increased sulcal depth in the sensorimotor cortex (precentral gyrus, paracentral lobule, central sulcus) and the pain modulation network (cingulate cortex, DLPFC, OFC) as key biomarkers for CNSP. The findings demonstrate that baseline structural integrity in these specific regions serves as a robust predictor of treatment efficacy. Moreover, the longitudinal structural recovery paralleling pain relief confirms the reversible nature of maladaptive neuroplasticity, highlighting CT in the precentral gyrus and SD in the DLPFC as critical indicators for evaluating chronic pain interventions.