Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39010829›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2025

Adverse childhood experiences, brain efficiency, and the development of pain symptoms in youth.

Samantha Miller, Karen L Cobos, Nivez Rasic, Xiangyu Long, Catherine Lebel, Neta Bar Am, Melanie Noel, Daniel Kopala-Sibley, Richelle Mychasiuk, Jillian Vinall Miller

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of pain (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Samantha MillerDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1306-1828
Karen L CobosDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3424-4084
Nivez RasicDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0067-450X
Xiangyu LongAlberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6451-3313
Catherine LebelAlberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0344-4032
Neta Bar AmDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8859-3036
Melanie NoelDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3752-8055
Daniel Kopala-SibleyAlberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7721-2947
Richelle MychasiukHotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5291-5083
Jillian Vinall MillerDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2767-5000

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are often reported by youths with chronic pain, and both ACEs and chronic pain disrupt how information is processed. However, it is unknown whether changes to shared neural networks underlie the relationship between ACEs and the development of pain symptoms. This study explored the relationships between ACEs, brain efficiency, and pain symptomology in youth.

methodsA community sample of youths aged 14-18 years underwent MRIs, answered trauma and pain questionnaires, and underwent pain sensory testing, twice, 3 months apart (N

resultsThere was a significant interaction between ACEs and global brain efficiency in association with pain intensity (β = -0.31, p = 0.02) and heat pain (β = -0.29, p = 0.004). Lower global brain efficiency exacerbated the relationship between ACEs and pain intensity (θ

conclusionsThe relationship between ACEs and pain symptomology was comparable to chronic pain phenotypes (i.e., higher pain intensity and pain thresholds) and may vary as a function of brain efficiency in youth. This stresses the importance of assessing for pain symptoms in trauma-exposed youth, as earlier identification and intervention are critical in preventing the chronification of pain. SIGNIFICANCE: This article explores the relationship between ACEs, pain symptomology, and brain efficiency in youth. ACEs may affect how the brain processes information, including pain. Youths with lower brain efficiencies that were exposed to more ACEs have pain symptomology comparable to youths with chronic pain. Understanding this relationship is important for the earlier identification of pain symptoms, particularly in vulnerable populations such as youths exposed to trauma, and is critical for preventing the chronification of pain.

Indexed as

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesBrainChronic PainMagnetic Resonance ImagingAdolescentFemaleHumansMalePainPain MeasurementPain Threshold

Identifiers

PMID39010829
PMCPMC11609899

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.