A whole brain comparison over the white matter skeleton between SBPr and SBPp patients at baseline and distribution of FA values for each group (New Haven data set).

Results of unpaired t-test (p < 0.05, 10,000 permutations) showing significantly increased FA (fractional anisotropy) in SBPr (recovered) compared to SBPp (persistent) patients within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in the New Haven data set. Rain clouds include boxplots and the FA data distribution for each group depicted on the right side of each boxplot. Jittered circles represent single data points, the middle line represents the median, the hinges of the boxplot the first and third quartiles, and the upper and lower whiskers 1.5*IQR (the interquartile range).

Association between white matter FA values and pain severity (New Haven data set).

Higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) are associated with greater pain reduction (from baseline to follow-up) in the New Haven data set.

A whole brain comparison over the white matter skeleton between SBPr and SBPp patients at baseline and distribution of FA values for each group (Mannheim data set).

Results of unpaired t-test (p < 0.05, 10,000 permutations) showing significantly increased FA (fractional anisotropy) in SBPr (recovered) compared to SBPp (persistent) patients at six-months follow-up within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in the Mannheim data set. Rain clouds include boxplots and the FA data distribution for each group depicted on the right side of each boxplot. Jittered circles represent single data points, the middle line represents the median, the hinges of the boxplot the first and third quartiles, and the upper and lower whiskers 1.5*IQR (the interquartile range).

Association between white matter FA values and pain severity (Mannheim data set).

Higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) are associated with greater pain reduction (from baseline to follow-up) in the Mannheim data set.

Validation of the accuracy of FA in the right SLF in classifying Mannheim patients.

The right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) cluster from the discovery set accurately classifies patients who recovered (SBPr) and those whose pain persisted (SBPp) in the Mannheim data set at a six-month follow-up. Classification accuracy is based on the ROC curve. Circles on the boxplots represent single data points, the middle line represents the median, the hinges of the boxplot the first and third quartiles, and the upper and lower whiskers 1.5*IQR (the interquartile range). AUC: area under the curve; * p < 0.05.

Validation of the accuracy of FA in the right SLF in classifying Chicago patients.

The right SLF (superior longitudinal fasciculus) cluster from the discovery set accurately classifies patients who recovered (SBPr) and those whose pain persisted (SBPp) in the Chicago (OpenPain) data set at visit 1 (baseline) (A) and visit 2 (one-year follow-up) (B). Classification accuracy is based on the ROC curve. Circles on the boxplots represent single data points, the middle line represents the median, the hinges of the boxplot the first and third quartiles, and the upper and lower whiskers 1.5*IQR (the interquartile range). AUC: area under the curve; * p < 0.05.

Structural connectivity-based classification of SBPp and SBPr patients.

Three-dimensional illustration of parts of the SLF connecting the temporal lobe to the opercular frontal lobe (A), in SBPp, (n =12 of the New Haven data) (B), and SBPr (n = 16 of the New Haven data) (C). The illustrated white matter bundles are depicted in the right lateral view with the directional color code (green, anterior-posterior; blue, superior-inferior; red, left-right). Ant, anterior; post, posterior; STG, superior temporal gyrus.