Human study · Research · 5 Oct 2026
A back-pain flare raised default-mode network activity in 114 adults
Source: EurekAlert
What the research found
The primary release is from UC San Diego, dated 5 October 2026. Gianola and colleagues published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia on 5 October 2026 (DOI 10.1016/j.bja.2026.08.010). Further write-ups ran through 22 to 29 October. In 114 adults with chronic low back pain lasting more than 12 weeks, a leg-raise flare increased reported pain by about 23 percent, a figure taken from later coverage of the same work rather than from the short release. Default-mode network activity rose during that flare. Painful heat on the calf lowered default-mode network activity. Fadel Zeidan is the corresponding author. Age and sex were not stated. The project did not test a remedy. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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