The periaqueductal gray and descending pain modulation: why should we study them and what role do they play in chronic pain?

In this Neuro Forum we discuss the significance of a recent study by Yu et al. (Neuroimage Clin 6: 100–108, 2014). The authors examined functional connectivity of a key node of the descending pain modulation pathway, the periaqueductal gray (PAG), in chronic back pain patients. Altered PAG connectivity to pain-related regions was found; we place results within the context of recent literature and emphasize the importance of understanding the descending component of pain in pain research.