News Archive

High-Impact Chronic Pain: A Data Visualization

Fifty million of US adults have chronic pain, and 20 million of US adults have high-impact chronic pain (HICP). Age, sex, education level, employment status, and poverty status are major contributors to HICP.

by Laura Sirucek on 26 Nov 2020

Comment

This data visualization was originally published on RELIEF, PRF’s companion site for people with lived experience of pain and the wider public, and is being republished here for the…

Research

SARS-CoV-2 Interacts With Sensory Neurons

Clues are emerging to suggest where and how the virus attacks the peripheral nervous system.

by Stephani Sutherland on 23 Nov 2020

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By now it’s clear: COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, includes symptoms that invoke the nervous system in myriad ways – from the acute symptoms of sore…

Research

Chronic Pain or Current Pain: What Do Changes in Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity Actually Reflect?

Commonly seen changes in brain connectivity among fibromyalgia patients may more closely reflect these individuals’ current clinical pain state rather than their pain condition

by Megan McPhee Christensen on 12 Nov 2020

Comment

The brains of patients with different chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, often show differences in resting-state functional connectivity, compared to pain-free controls. Researchers have often interpreted this to mean…

Research

A Potassium Channel Mutation Drives Resilience to Labor Pain

A genetic variant in Kv6.4 leads to reduced labor pain in a subset of childbearing women

by Fred Schwaller on 20 Oct 2020

Comment

The American actress Danica McKellar, best known for her role as Winnie Cooper in the hit television series The Wonder Years, once said: “My hope is to go fully…

Research

A Rapidly Adapting Understanding of Touch

A recent study shows that Meissner corpuscles mediate gentle touch perception and are innervated by molecularly distinct Aβ neuron types

by Melanie Schaffler on 12 Oct 2020

Comment

Meissner corpuscles, receptors for vibration and pressure in the hairless skin of mammals, were first discovered over 165 years ago. However, the function of these structures in touch perception…

Research

Calls to Rename “Pain Catastrophizing” Backed by International Patient-Researcher Partnership

An ongoing initiative is investigating different perspectives on what has become a controversial term, aiming to identify the most suitable replacement

by Jayden O’Brien on 17 Sep 2020

Comment

Editor’s note: Eight young pain researchers were recently selected to provide news articles and other content as part of PRF’s Correspondents program, which provides a science communications training experience.…

Research

A Persistence of Sex Bias in Preclinical Pain Research

A review of studies published since 2015 reveals a better balance between male and female animals in pain research, yet the existing literature shows a deep male bias in experimental effects

by Sarah Najjar on 18 Aug 2020

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Even though chronic pain disproportionately affects women, preclinical pain research has relied heavily on data from male rodents. With increasing recognition that males and females process pain differently, some…

Research

The Parabrachial Nucleus Takes the Pain Limelight

Two recent studies build the case for a crucial role of this brainstem structure in pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 13 Aug 2020

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Nociceptive signals entering the brain via the spinothalamic pathway allow us to detect the location and intensity of a painful sensation. But, at least as importantly, nociceptive inputs also…

Research

Analgesia From General Anesthetics: A “Pain-Off” Switch in the Central Amygdala

Isoflurane and ketamine engage a pain-suppression circuit controlled by GABAergic neurons in the CeA

by Fred Schwaller on 22 Jul 2020

Comment

General anesthetics used in surgeries are well known to cause loss of consciousness. This has often been assumed to account for the ability of these drugs to also produce…

Research

A Mislabeled Line? Well-Known Itch Afferents Can Code Pain, Too

Whether MrgprA3 neurons drive itch or pain depends on how the cells are activated; distinct spinal cord pathways underlie each sensation

by Tayler Sheahan on 16 Jul 2020

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How the nervous system encodes pain and itch – two distinct percepts – is hotly debated. A new study challenges the long-standing labeled line theory for itch, which argues…

Research

A 10-Year Anniversary: Reflecting on the Declaration of Montreal

One decade ago, pain stakeholders from around the globe called for the world to recognize that access to pain management is a fundamental human right. How has the Declaration of Montreal influenced pain research and treatment in the years since?

by Kayt Sukel on 24 Jun 2020

Comment

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on RELIEF, PRF’s companion website for patients and the wider public, and is being republished here for PRF readers.

Research

Does Dendritic Spine Plasticity Contribute to Pain? The Evidence Is Mushrooming

Two-photon imaging study links changes in the structure of dorsal horn dendritic spines to neuropathic pain, in a mouse spared nerve injury model

by Neil Andrews on 18 Jun 2020

Comment

Dendritic spines – small protrusions from the dendrites of neurons – have been familiar to neuroscientists for more than a century, especially to those studying the neuronal mechanisms of…

Drug Development

Research

When Mice Make Faces, Machine Learning to the Rescue!

Algorithm identifies and classifies characteristic expressions in response to emotional events; calcium imaging reveals neuronal underpinnings

by Francie Moehring on 10 Jun 2020

Comment

When a person feels disgust, fear, or pain, there’s a good chance an observer can identify those emotions from the facial expressions of the individual they are watching. But…

Research

A Paradox of Thermosensation in Mice: Perceiving Warmth Requires a Cool-Activated Channel

The menthol receptor TRPM8 is necessary for mice to perceive very small skin temperature increases as warming; results support pattern theory of thermosensation

by Francie Moehring on 3 Jun 2020

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Can mice perceive slight rises in temperature as warming? A new study says yes, and asserts that patterns of sensory afferent activity, rather than dedicated cold and warm pathways…

Research

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Switch to Telehealth During COVID-19 Pandemic Seen as “Silver Lining” of a Great “Natural Experiment”

Clinics move rapidly to virtual care

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 May 2020

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As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the globe, shuttering schools and businesses, pain clinics and therapists’ offices have closed, too. As a result, people with chronic pain swiftly lost…

Research

Fibroblasts Join the Ranks of Pain Targets

Little-known protein secreted by DRG meningeal fibroblasts triggers nerve infiltration by immune cells

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 May 2020

Comment

An obscure protein has emerged as a key control point in immune cell infiltration of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and peripheral nerves after injury. The protein, a protease…

Research

Turning Pluripotent Stem Cells Into a New Population of Sensory Neurons

Researchers use forced transcription method to create a homogenous population of cells, present in humans but not in mice, which detect cold temperature and mechanical force

by Jamie K. Moy on 7 May 2020

Comment

A number of pain labs are now using human tissue, primarily dorsal root ganglia (DRG), to learn more about species differences in pain between animals and people, and to…

Research

COVID-19 Hits Pain Research Labs Hard

Pain investigators doing basic science as well as those on the front lines of clinical care navigate rapid changes during a global pandemic

by Stephani Sutherland on 29 Apr 2020

Comment

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 sweeps around the globe, business as usual has come to a screeching halt. Schools and universities, shops, and offices…

Research

Brain Networks Controlling Endogenous Pain Modulation Differ According to Age and Sex

fMRI study in healthy rats reveals differences in functional connectivity in young versus old, male versus female animals

by Fred Schwaller on 24 Apr 2020

Comment

Over the next several decades, a rapid increase in aging populations will challenge healthcare systems around the world. This is particularly true for efforts to treat pain, since the…

Research

Hunting for the Macrophage MAFIA in Neuropathic Pain

A new study shows that macrophage expansion in the DRG, but not at the nerve injury site, contributes to the initiation and persistence of mechanical hypersensitivity

by Sarah Najjar on 14 Apr 2020

Comment

Immune cell recruitment and activation after nerve injury contribute to neuropathic pain, and recent studies have aimed to identify the types of immune cells and neuroimmune interactions that play…

Research

TACAN: A New Mechanical Pain Sensor

Recently discovered ion channel controls the mechanosensitivity of nociceptors

by Francie Moehring on 7 Apr 2020

Comment

Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical stimulus is converted into an electrical signal, allowing us to hear, feel touch, and experience pain, among other sensations. But much…

Research

Higher Pain Ratings in African Americans Rooted in Discrimination

Brain imaging suggests differences in pain stem from life experience, not nociceptive circuitry

by Stephani Sutherland on 31 Mar 2020

Comment

Despite a still-common belief that African Americans feel less pain than Whites, the evidence shows that the former report more pain than the latter, both in clinical and laboratory…

Research

An Approved Drug for Multiple Sclerosis Also Eases Pain

Dimethyl fumarate relieves neuropathic pain in rodents by alleviating oxidative stress

by Fred Schwaller on 9 Mar 2020

Comment

It takes billions of dollars and years of research and testing to develop new drugs, including novel treatments for chronic pain. So rather than try to reinvent the wheel,…

Drug Development

Research

Helping Others Eases Pain

A new study shows that altruistic behaviors relieve acute pain in healthy volunteers and chronic pain in cancer patients

by Kayt Sukel on 4 Mar 2020

Comment

Over the past few decades, many studies have examined the paradox of altruistic behaviors, which benefit others at a person’s own expense. Considering the often significant cost of these…

Research

The Culture of Research: “A Shocking Portrait” Calls for Immediate Change

A Wellcome Trust study documents a plethora of widespread issues, including career insecurity, bullying and harassment, sexism and mental health issues. Pain investigators who spoke to PRF said these problems apply to the pain research environment too.

by Kayt Sukel on 24 Feb 2020

Comment

What is it like to be an academic researcher today, according to researchers themselves?

Research

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In the Search for New Drugs, the Migraine Field Wins the Day ─ Again

Based on results from two recent clinical trials, the US Food and Drug Administration approves ubrogepant, a CGRP receptor antagonist, for acute migraine treatment

by Lincoln Tracy on 3 Feb 2020

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The pain field has seen its share of disappointment on the drug development front, to the point where the so-called “failure of translation” has become an unavoidable cliché. But…

Drug Development

Research

A New Clinical Trial Shows Clear Benefits of TENS for Fibromyalgia ─ Finally!

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces pain from movement and fatigue

by Stephani Sutherland on 27 Jan 2020

Comment

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to treat various forms of chronic pain for decades, yet studies investigating the benefits of this intervention for pain have failed…

Research

Nav1.7 Channels in DRG Neurons: Where Are They and How Do They Get There?

A new study provides the first live visualization, with single-molecule resolution, of Nav1.7 distribution and trafficking along primary afferents, from the soma to the distal axon

by Dara Bree on 21 Jan 2020

Comment

The sodium channel Nav1.7 is a key regulator of the firing of nociceptive neurons, and mutations in this channel can result in pain conditions as well as insensitivity to…

Research

Providers’ Expectations Directly Transmit Placebo Effects to Patients via Facial Expressions

A new study shows that social transmission of placebo effects via subtle facial cues decreases experimental heat pain

by Kayt Sukel on 16 Jan 2020

Comment

For decades, scientists have tried to understand why some people experience the placebo effect, a positive outcome from an inert drug or other inactive treatment. This is often attributed…

Research

Biased Opioid Agonists Isolated From an Australian Fungus

Core tetrapeptide backbone of bilorphin could serve as a structural framework for future compounds

by Stephani Sutherland on 6 Jan 2020

Comment

Major efforts are underway to develop new opioid drugs that relieve pain without dangerous adverse effects. One strategy relies on biased agonism—a term that describes preferential activation of one…

Drug Development

Research

A Newly Identified Scorpion Toxin Targets TRPA1

A cell-penetrating peptide from the venom of the Australian black rock scorpion activates TRPA1 to cause pain but not neurogenic inflammation

by Francie Moehring on 17 Dec 2019

Comment

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is an ion channel expressed by many primary afferent sensory neurons. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a pungent chemical that gives wasabi and mustard oil…

Research

Going in Opposite Directions: The Role of the Amygdala in Pain

A new study shows pro- versus antinociceptive roles for distinct populations of neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala

by Fred Schwaller on 10 Dec 2019

Comment

The role of the amygdala in pain has been closely considered by pain researchers for decades. The results have been somewhat contradictory: Recent research has mostly found pronociceptive contributions…

Research

A New Mechanism of Medication-Overuse Headache

A mouse study reveals that nitric oxide maladaptively activates Nav1.9 channels in a medication-overuse headache model

by Lincoln Tracy on 4 Dec 2019

Comment

It is a cruel irony that the same drugs used to treat migraine headache can themselves cause headache. But the underlying causes of this phenomenon, known as medication-overuse headache…

Drug Development

Research

A Brain Pathway for Headache Pain Aversiveness

A new study identifies a circuit from the periaqueductal gray to the ventral tegmental area that encodes aversiveness in a rat model of headache

by Kayt Sukel on 18 Nov 2019

Comment

Pain, including migraine pain, can be associated with sensory changes. It can also be an extremely unpleasant experience. But while the sensory characteristics of migraine pain have been examined…

Research

I Want to Hold Your Hand (to Ease the Pain)

New study shows that romantic partner touch reduces pain intensity and unpleasantness, and engages sensory and emotional brain regions, in female volunteers

by Dara Bree on 11 Nov 2019

Comment

The supportive touch of a romantic partner can have enormous benefits in coping with stressful, threatening, and especially painful situations. To date, the evidence in favor of a role…

Research

What Makes a DRG Neuron a DRG Neuron?

Researchers use RNA sequencing to generate transcriptome profiles of different DRG neuronal subtypes, which account for the distinct physiological properties of the cells

by Fred Schwaller on 5 Nov 2019

Comment

Peripheral sensory neurons are classified based on characteristics such as anatomical structure, physiological responses to stimuli, and expression of gene markers. In a further attempt at classification, a new…

Research

A New Role for Lysozyme in Neuropathic Pain

Evidence from rodent and human tissues shows that increased lysozyme expression after nerve injury causes neuronal excitability and pain-like behavior

by Dara Bree on 28 Oct 2019

Comment

Lysozyme, a bacteria-gobbling enzyme commonly known for its role in fighting infections as part of the innate immune system, may serve a previously unrecognized role in facilitating chronic pain…

Research

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If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again: An Improved Strategy to Treat Itch

Converging evidence from mouse models and human sensory neurons points to the spinal cord receptor NPR1 as a potential treatment target for itch

by Lincoln Tracy on 15 Oct 2019

Comment

Everyone knows how unpleasant itch can be, and the relief that comes from scratching. But when it comes to the causes of itch, while acute itch is commonly associated…

Drug Development

Research

Pain Nerve Endings: “Bare” No More

Nociceptive Schwann cells in the skin are an active player in pain sensation

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Oct 2019

Comment

For the past century, dogma has held that unmyelinated nociceptive sensory neurons have “bare” or “free” nerve endings that extend into the epidermis where they detect harmful stimuli directly,…

Research

“Everybody Has Won and All Must Have Prizes”: Dodo Birds in Psychological Treatments for Chronic Pain

Do different psychological interventions that alleviate pain work through similar or unique mechanisms?

by Lincoln Tracy on 2 Oct 2019

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a summary of the Professor Tess Cramond Named Lecture from the Australian Pain Society 39th Annual Scientific Meeting, which took place from April 7…

Conferences

Research

The Mouse Pain Scale: A More Reliable and Unbiased Way to Assess Animal Behavior in Pain Research

New approach uses high-speed videography, statistical modeling, and machine learning to identify pain- versus non-pain-related behaviors

by Francie Moehring on 24 Sep 2019

Comment

Pain is a complex experience that differs from person to person, which makes it challenging to measure objectively in humans. It’s even more difficult to do so in rodents,…

Research

Immune Receptor TLR4 Mediates Hyperalgesia Caused by Opioids

Opioids sensitize pain at sensory neurons

by Stephani Sutherland on 17 Sep 2019

Comment

Opioids provide powerful relief from pain, but their many serious side effects include a paradoxical increase in pain, a phenomenon referred to as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), in patients and…

Research

A Causal Role for Long-Term Potentiation in Chronic Pain

A new mouse study reveals the importance of microglia in spinal LTP resulting from electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve

by Dara Bree on 13 Sep 2019

Chronic pain has long been associated with peripheral nerve damage or local inflammation. However, chronic pain often has no clinically obvious cause. A new study proposes that long-term potentiation…

Research

A New Proposed Definition of Pain

After nearly 18 months of collaboration, the IASP Definition of Pain Task Force is suggesting a new definition to better reflect current knowledge

by Kayt Sukel on 5 Sep 2019

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Definition of Pain Task Force has proposed an update to the organization’s official definition of pain to help better guide…

Research

A View of Pain as a Physical Sense to Avoid Harm—And What It Means for Psychological Treatments

“It is an exciting time to be a pain psychologist,” says Christopher Eccleston. “We have amazing interventions for psychological treatment of pain currently.”

by Perri Tutelman on 3 Sep 2019

Comment

Editor’s note: The 17th IASP World Congress on Pain took place September 12-16, 2018, in Boston, US. At the Congress, 12 early-career pain researchers took part in the PRF Correspondents Program, a science communications…

Conferences

Research

After a New Clinical Trial, Where Is Anti-NGF Treatment for Pain Headed?

Results support the efficacy of tanezumab for osteoarthritis pain, but joint safety remains a concern

by Kayt Sukel on 21 Aug 2019

Comment

There are no effective treatments to prevent or reverse osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive, degenerative condition where joint cartilage, joint structures, and underlying bone come under attack. Nor are there…

Drug Development

Research

Pain Insensitivity Observed in Multiple African Mole Rat Species

New study builds upon previous work in naked mole rats by identifying additional species with pain insensitivity to capsaicin, acid, and AITC

by Dara Bree on 15 Aug 2019

Comment

The naked mole rat—unsightly in appearance, unconventional in its habitat, and unusual in its physiology—has been a boon to pain researchers, who have spent the past decade investigating the…

Research

From a Spider Venom to an Analgesic in Mice

At the 2019 annual gathering of the Australian Pain Society, Glenn King described how research on spider venoms could lead to a better understanding of pain mechanisms and new treatments

by Lincoln Tracy on 7 Aug 2019

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a summary of the John Bonica Named Lecture delivered at the Australian Pain Society 39th Annual Scientific Meeting. John Bonica—widely regarded as the founding…

Conferences

Research

Advances in Understanding Migraine: New Mechanisms and Innovative Translational Models

A headache symposium at the 2019 American Pain Society Scientific Meeting highlighted emerging areas of research in the field

by Francie Moehring on 16 Jul 2019

Comment

Migraine is the second most disabling condition worldwide, trailing only low back pain, yet it remains neglected as a field of research.

Conferences

Research

The Missing Link Between Disinhibition and Excitation in the Spinal Cord During Chronic Pain: Taking a STEP Forward

Converging evidence from rodent and human tissue points to the phosphatase STEP61 as a hub of dorsal horn pain processing

by Neil Andrews on 15 Jul 2019

Comment

Spinal cord pain processing is a complicated phenomenon involving different neurobiological mechanisms and molecular players. Dorsal horn disinhibition spurred by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and excitation mediated by NMDA…

Research

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The IASP Pain Research Forum is a publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain