Imaging Study of Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients Taking Pain Medication

Functional MRI Neural Correlates of Medication Efficacy in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Duloxetine has recently been shown to be effective in reducing the pain in chronic pain patients. Duloxetine is known to exert a central mechanism, however the precise human brain structures responsible for mediating its pain-relieving properties are not known. We will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to investigate the neural and functional correlates of pain.

Inclusion Criteria:- Males aged 18-60

• Back Pain
• Must be able to comply with study visit schedule and other study requirements
• Capable of performing the experimental tasks Exclusion Criteria:- Contraindications for MRI examination (e.g., metallic implants such as pacemakers, surgical aneurysm clips, or known metal fragments embedded in the body)
• Known hypersensitivity to duloxetine or any of the inactive ingredients
• Uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma