# Early signs of long-term pain: prospective network profiles from late adolescence and lifelong follow-up

## TL;DR

This study identifies early signs in late adolescence that predict long-term pain later in life using network theory and registry data.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel network-based approach to predict long-term pain vulnerability using adolescent data.

## Key findings

- Significant differences in network profiles were found between individuals who later developed long-term pain and those who did not.
- The pain-associated network profile is characterized by psychosocial variables that distinguish vulnerable individuals.
- Differences were observed at global, nodal, and edge levels of the network.

## Abstract

This study applies network theory to registry data to identify prospective differences between individuals who develop long-term pain later in life and those who do not. The research is based on assessments of biological, psychological, and social variables in late adolescence during military conscription in Sweden. The analysis reveals significant differences in the network profiles of adolescent men who later developed long-term pain. These differences are reflected in several network-based outputs, including global, nodal, and edge levels, revealing a consistent picture of the pain-associated network profile. This profile demonstrates how those vulnerable to long-term pain have a specific configuration of variables that skew away from the rest of the population, mainly relating to psychosocial aspects.