This study is a pilot feasibility study in 30 healthy, preoperative children and young adults undergoing major surgery with high risk for chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) to characterize the brain metabolite status of the Anterior cingulate cortices (ACC) and insula in pre-surgical adolescents and to understand the relationship between metabolite levels and CPSP. The investigators will also examine whether neurochemical tone in these regions is related to resting state functional connectivity with other brain regions. Correlations between differentially methylated CpG sites in genes enriching gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Dopamine-DARPP-32 pathways and Glu/GABA levels in insula/ACC will be analyzed.
This pilot research study is being performed to learn more about pain and look at how pain changes brain chemistry and function. The research team would like to learn new information to better control chronic pain after surgery. This information collected in this research will be used to plan possible future visits. Participants in this study are being asked to participate because they are scheduled for an upcoming surgery. The research team would like to observe them before and after their surgery.