Study Shows How Stroke Pain Spread
Date: 17th June 2026 | By: Dr Lourdes Gaspar
A recent study from Kyoto University explains why some stroke patients develop mirror-image pain, where pain is felt on both sides of the body instead of just one. Normally, after a stroke, pain occurs on the side of the body opposite to the brain injury. However, in rare cases, pain spreads to both sides, creating a symmetrical or “mirror-like” pattern. Researchers wanted to understand how and why this happens.
The study focuses on a molecule called lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA is a lipid (fat-like molecule) that forms from cell membranes and plays important roles in the body, including inflammation, blood vessel function, and cell movement. After tissue damage—such as a stroke—levels of LPA increase. Scientists already suspected that LPA might worsen chronic pain, but how it causes pain to spread across both sides of the body was unclear.
To investigate, researchers used a mouse model designed to mimic stroke conditions. They applied advanced techniques such as imaging mass spectrometry, which allows scientists to see where specific molecules are located in brain tissue, and immunostaining, which highlights the activity of certain cells. These methods helped them track changes in the brain after injury.
The researchers discovered a chain of events that explains how mirror-image pain develops:
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