Summary
Although pain inhibition by the central nervous system (CNS) strongly modulates acute pain in the lab, its relevance for patient outcomes is less well known. Studies with animal models, human behavioral paradigms, and neuroimaging have implicated central pain inhibition in the pathophysiology of chronic pain. However, the most commonly used assessments of central pain inhibition in patients are limited by technical aspects, expense, and accessibility, preventing their widespread use and resulting in a knowledge gap in how central pain inhibition impacts patient outcomes and treatment response.
