Research & Resources

The connection between alcohol use disorder and chronic pain

To understand common neuroanatomical factors in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and those with chronic pain, researchers reviewed the literature on both topics and how AUD can affect pain. They learned that reward and oversight circuits, as well as other neural substrates, are dysfunctional in individuals with either AUD or chronic pain. They also showed how AUD can contribute to chronic pain and discussed how clinicians can respond to either or both in light of the connection.The paper, “At the intersection of alcohol use disorder and chronic pain,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It was published in the journal Neuropsychology.
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