Fascinating! This is a great summary of an interesting article. I think the connection between physical pain and emotional/affective responses in the brains of people living with chronic pain is really interesting. It’s amazing that they are imaging the effect of a drug on this connection, and showing it leads to analgesic effects. I take Lyrica and find it helps with tingling and chills and some sensitivity to pain. Personally I have found long acting tramadol to be more effective for the pain side of things but it’s so individual when it comes to pain.
This good news is so new that it’s dated in the future: Dec 1, 2013.
The implication is that at least one factor in chronic pain can now be visualized by computer imaging. Pregabalin (Lyrica) soothes the insula, and the changes in insula activity and corresponding decreasing pain levels were made visible for the first time.
So far, we only had static images of brains to compare those of people with chronic pain with those who are pain-free, but now we can watch the changes as they are happening in a single individual.
A study in the December issue of Anesthesiology suggests a role for brain imaging in the assessment and potential treatment of chronic pain. …use brain imaging procedures to track the clinical action of pregabalin, a drug known by the brand name…
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Skillfully Well & Painfully Aware 
Great article. I just started Lyrica. I’m glad to know tramadol helps you.
I hope that you see some improvement from taking Lyrica. I had to titrate up to my dosage really slowly because of the side effects, about 25mg per week. I think, for me, it helps with the strange tingling, temperature changes, and other weird fibro symptoms and the intensity of the pain. It’s such an individual thing though, when it comes to pain patients and what works!