Genetic factors partly explain the link between brain structure and chronic pain, according to Australia's University of Queensland-led research.

This research is a step towards understanding the complex relationship between the brain and human genome in how they influence and contribute to chronic pain, the leading cause of disability worldwide.

As per the researchers, chronic pain affected around one in five Australian adults, while musculoskeletal disorders had the highest expenditure across disease groups in the country’s healthcare system.

“By identifying the underlying biological causes of chronic pain, we hope to improve the diagnosis, treatment of and health outcomes for sufferers of this highly debilitating condition.

“We are conducting further analyses to determine the genetic causal relationships across many clinical, lifestyle and psychosocial factors known to be associated with chronic pain, to help identify the underlying factors for clinical translation,” the researchers said.