Northwestern Study Reveals Long-Term Opioid Use Ineffective for Chronic Back Pain, Identifies New Molecular Markers
A new study from Northwestern University indicates that long-term opioid use does not significantly improve pain or functioning in individuals suffering from chronic back pain. The research compared 70 long-term opioid users with 70 similar patients who were not taking opioids. Both groups reported nearly identical pain levels, averaging 5.4 on a 10-point scale, suggesting that years of opioid use did not lead to better pain management. While the opioid group showed slightly worse outcomes in physical function and mental health, their brain anatomy remained largely intact, dispelling fears that long-term opioid ingestion severely damages the brain. However, significant differences were observed in spontaneous brain activity, particularly in the mesocorticolimbic network (involved in reward and motivation) and the prefrontal cortex (supporting decision-making). The study, published in the journal Brain, also identified new molecular markers, including those related to serotonin receptors, which could pave t...
