“…Additionally, the observed WM microstructural changes around the PAG, a vital region involved in the inhibition of nociceptive inputs through its interactions with ascending and descending projections from numerous sites (Lewis & Gebhart, ; Ossipov et al, ), suggest that DPN might be associated with impaired PAG‐mediated analgesia, which would lead to exaggerated pain sensation. In fact, the insula, cingulate cortex, PFC, and PAG are linked and activated when processing painful stimuli, and are thus regarded as key regions of a network termed the pain matrix (Davis & Moayedi, ; Ohara, Crone, Weiss, Kim, & Lenz, ; Wilkinson et al, ). It is conceivable that the observed GM or WM alterations in these regions underlie the impairments in multidimensional aspects of pain processing that are found in DPN, including abnormal encoding of pain intensity and anticipation, abnormal pain modulation, and the experience of negative emotions, such as anxiety.…”