506. Elevated Peripheral Inflammation is Associated With Altered Anterior Cingulate Excitatory-Inhibitory Balance in Individuals with Chronic Pain: A Preliminary Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

There has been increasing interest in the role of excitatory-inhibitory balance in inducing a vicious cycle of chronic pain. One possible pathway by which excitatory-inhibitory imbalance may be associated with chronic pain involves inflammation. However, the influence of inflammation on excitatory-inhibitory balance in the central pain-processing system has not been widely explored. The current study examined the association between peripheral inflammation and the excitatory-inhibitory balance in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a key affective pain-processing brain region, in individuals with chronic pain.