Unexpected link between choroid plexus and chronic pain

Located in the walls of the brain ventricles, the choroid plexus is best known for producing cerebrospinal fluid, which forms a protective mechanical cushion and immunological buffer for the brain. It also controls the passage of many substances from the blood into the cerebrospinal fluid, brain, and spinal cord.

However, in clinical neuroscience, the functions of choroid plexus beyond cerebrospinal fluid generation have been largely neglected; for example, the size of the choroid plexus is not quantified in routine brain scans,' explains the senior author of the study.

Now they have found a novel connection between the size of the choroid plexus in the brain and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The findings were published in the Scientific Reports.

When studying magnetic resonance images of the brains of patients suffering from CRPS, we noticed that the choroid plexus was nearly one-fifth larger in patients than in healthy control subjects,' says the author.

http://www.aalto.fi/en/current/news/2015-09-21-003/