Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41341260›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neuroscience2025

Brain network properties in chronic pain-a systematic review and meta-analysis of graph-based connectivity metrics.

Lionel Butry, Johanna Thomä, Sigrid Elsenbruch, Adriane Icenhour, Robert Rehmann, Elena Enax-Krumova, Lara Schlaffke

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. 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

7 authors.

Lionel ButryDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Johanna ThomäDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Sigrid ElsenbruchDepartment of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Adriane IcenhourDepartment of Affective Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Robert RehmannDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Elena Enax-KrumovaDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Lara SchlaffkeDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Identifying brain topology alterations in chronic pain is a crucial step in understanding its pathophysiology. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess alterations in resting-state functional and structural global network properties in patients with chronic pain. Methods: Following the preregistration (PROSPERO CRD42024542390), databases were searched for studies comparing connectivity-based whole-brain global network properties between patients with chronic pain and healthy controls. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted for each global network property separately. Results: A total of 32 functional topology studies and 17 structural topology studies were included in the qualitative review, with 27 functional topology studies and 17 structural topology studies eligible for meta-analysis across nine unique structural and functional global network properties. The number of participants per meta-analysis ranged from 178 to 1,592. There was low-certainty evidence that chronic pain patients showed impairments in local efficiency of resting-state functional whole-brain topology (SMD: -0.50, 95%-CI: -0.81 to -0.19, 95%-PI: -1.38 to 0.38), and low to very low-certainty evidence that structural whole-brain topology was not altered in chronic pain across nine global network properties. The heterogeneity was high in the majority of functional (I Discussion: The meta-analyses indicate that functional but not structural whole-brain topological reorganisation is involved in the pathophysiology of chronic pain.

Indexed as

brain topologychronic painfunctional connectivitygraph theorynetwork analysisstructural connectivity

Identifiers

PMID41341260
PMCPMC12669219

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.