(Photo from KJZZ Library)

Injuries to the brain can disrupt the blood/brain membrane, allowing for inflammation-promoting molecules to enter the bloodstream. If the brain detects these molecules, it will produce more, causing a feedback loop leading to increased pain sensitivity.

The military is working on something called “implantable neural interfaces.” This is essentially a way to tap into the brain.

Last month, researchers gathered in Virginia for a meeting convened by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Bradley Greger was there, he’s an associate professor in the school of Biological and Health Systems Engineering at Arizona State University.