Mapping the Spatiotemporal Trajectories of Chronic Pain Across the Lifespan

The objective of our investigation is to elucidate the progression and presentation of chronic pain through different stages of human development, from adolescence to old age. By adopting a normative modeling approach, this study seeks to examine the spatiotemporal trajectories of chronic pain evoluation throughout the lifespan. 
    Clinical evaluations of chronic pain are typically siloed, focusing on the bodily location of the pain, such as the head, face, abdomen, or back. A comprehensive model of the spatial patterns, inflection points, and transitions of bodily pain across the lifespan would provide significant clinical value. For example, in determining the normative pain state of individuals at certain age points, one could use this normative model as a reference to estimate deviations in the ‘average’ pain state. It would show the critical age ranges where bodily pain representations transition from, for example, more visceral to musculoskeletal symptomology. It could be used to estimate longitudinal trajectories of the spatial progression of pain for given bodily pain patterns. 
    Additionally, this study seeks to examine the confluence of psychosocial (mental health, physical health, and sociodemographic) dimensions in the spatiotemporal trajectories of chronic pain evolution. Chronic pain is not merely a physiological phenomenon; it is a complex interplay of genetic predispositions, environmental triggers, and cultural factors1,2. We plan to leverage the spatiotemporal normative models of bodily pain sites to determine the distinct psychosocial characteristics associated with varying pain representations across the lifespan.
    Given these insights, it becomes paramount to explore the spatiotemporal trajectories and patterns of chronic pain across diverse populations, spanning various geographies. This approach aims to offer a holistic understanding of the genesis, evolution, and manifestation of chronic pain.