Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions and Nociplastic Pain

Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) are often comorbid and more prevalent in women and individuals assigned female at birth, potentially linked by nociplastic pain. This study used GenomicSEM common-factor GWAS and multivariate TWAS analyses on six COPCs to identify genetic variations associated with nociplastic pain, finding 24 independent SNPs and 127 unique genes. Nociplastic pain was shown to be a polygenic trait with significant SNP heritability and genetic overlap with multisite chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and neuropathic pain. Tissue enrichment analyses highlighted cardiac and thyroid tissues, while gene set enrichment suggested shared mechanisms in cognitive, personality, and metabolic traits. The study concludes that nociplastic pain is a complex, heritable trait, enhancing understanding of its development mechanisms.