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Labeling of Pills Proves Potent in Pain Relief

Clinical study quantifies effect of positive information about placebo or active drug in migraine

by Michele Solis on 18 Jan 2014

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When testing drugs for pain relief, the information doctors give matters almost as much as the medicine subjects receive, according to a study published January 8 in Science Translational…

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Loss of Focus: The Brain Circuitry of Mind Wandering Away From Pain

Research presented at Neuroscience 2013 indicates connectivity between default-mode and antinociceptive brain networks contributes to individuals’ tendency to tune pain out

by Stephani Sutherland on 15 Jan 2014

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Pain is an attention hog. Normally, our awareness constantly fluctuates from our immediate environment, away to thoughts of the past or future, and back again. But a painful stimulus…

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Popularity Contest: The Top News Stories and Papers of 2013 on PRF

What were you looking at?

by PRF Editors on 20 Dec 2013

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As the year draws to a close, it’s a great time to take a look back at the stories and papers that caught the attention of PRF readers in 2013.…

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Building a Case for the Astrocyte Contribution to Pain Signaling

Mouse study presented at Neuroscience 2013 in San Diego shows that chemokines released through astrocyte hemichannels sensitize spinal cord neurons

by Stephani Sutherland on 19 Dec 2013

Glial cells have recently emerged as important regulators of chronic pain, particularly in the spinal cord where they contribute to the neuronal sensitization thought to underlie neuropathic pain hypersensitivity.…

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OPPERA Sings: Risk Factors for Jaw Pain Revealed in Large Prospective Study

Temporomandibular disorder more than a localized orofacial pain condition

by Allison Curley on 18 Dec 2013

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Risk factors for temporomandibular disorder (TMD) reach far beyond the jaw joint, reveals the climactic second act of the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study. Building…

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High-Resolution Structure of TRPV1 Revealed by Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Two papers make big advances for pain science and structural biology

by Stephani Sutherland on 11 Dec 2013

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The cloning of transient receptor potential channel V1 (TRPV1) in 1997 by David Julius and colleagues (Caterina et al., 1997) ushered in a new age of molecular pain research.

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Taking the Good and Leaving the Rest: COX-2 Inhibitors Alleviate THC’s Downsides in the Brain

Potential pathway to improved therapeutic profile of marijuana?

by Michele Solis on 27 Nov 2013

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Marijuana soothes a variety of ills, including pain, but it also wreaks havoc with cognition. According to a study published November 21 in Cell, this unwanted side effect and…

Research

Compound That Affects Kinase in Pain Pathway Also Targets Sodium Channels Directly

Findings presented at Neuroscience 2013 in San Diego suggest a single molecule could have a dual role in relieving pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 Nov 2013

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Metabotropic signaling by proteins such as kinases modulates the sodium channels that drive action potential firing in pain-sensing neurons and has therefore joined the ranks of potential targets for…

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Changes Gray Matter Morphology in Chronic Pain

Increase in gray matter correlates with decrease in catastrophizing

by Abdul-Kareem Ahmed on 25 Nov 2013

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The human brain is an amazingly plastic organ that is shaped by the powerful experience of pain. Previous research has indicated that patients with chronic pain show reduced cerebral…

Research

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Periaqueductal Gray Elicits Endogenous Opioid Release

PET study presented at Neuroscience 2013 in San Diego hints at answer to long-standing question

by Stephani Sutherland on 20 Nov 2013

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The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), nestled around the cerebral aqueduct in the midbrain, sits at the center of a brain network responsible for descending modulation of pain. Deep brain…

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David Julius Honored With Janssen Award for Biomedical Research

Audio and slides of talks from award symposium now available online

by Megan Talkington on 14 Nov 2013

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The prestigious Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, awarded annually by Johnson & Johnson, this year went to pain researcher David Julius of the University of California, San…

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Anoctamin Channels: Surprising New Players in Acute and Chronic Pain

Recent studies highlight function of Ano1 and Ano3 family members

by Megan Stephan on 8 Nov 2013

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Two members of the anoctamin family, a recently discovered group of membrane proteins, have unexpectedly been found to play important roles in nociception and pain. Recent papers from the…

Research

Multiple Studies, One Conclusion: Some Fibromyalgia Patients Show Peripheral Nerve Pathologies

Role of small fiber abnormalities in condition unclear

by Stephani Sutherland on 6 Nov 2013

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) ranks among the most enigmatic and prevalent chronic pain conditions. Researchers and clinicians have searched in vain for an underlying cause for the unexplained widespread muscle…

Research

Mutations in Nav1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Found in Inherited Pain Condition

Two families carry gain-of-function Nav1.9 mutations that increase neuronal excitability

by Stephani Sutherland on 5 Nov 2013

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Voltage-gated sodium channels drive action potential firing in pain-sensing neurons, and mutations in the genes for Nav1.7 and Nav1.8, two channels critical for nociceptor function, have been linked to…

Research

TAFA4 Protein Calms Painful Touch

Chemokine-like protein expressed in C-low threshold mechanoreceptors reverses hypersensitivity

by Michele Solis on 4 Nov 2013

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A protein found in a select few sensory neurons suppresses painful touch after an injury, according to a study published October 15 in Cell Reports. Called TAFA4, the protein…

Research

Scorpion Toxin Blocks Nav1.8 Channel, Pain in Grasshopper Mouse

Evolutionary adaptation turns painful toxin into analgesic

by Stephani Sutherland on 1 Nov 2013

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Most mammals, humans included, writhe in pain in response to a venomous sting from the bark scorpion. Not so the grasshopper mouse. The scorpion’s desert-dwelling cohabitant seems unperturbed by…

Research

Chloride Transporter Emerges as Druggable Target for Pain

KCC2-selective compound restores impaired chloride transport in neurons and improves hypersensitivity in rat model of neuropathic pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 16 Oct 2013

Comment

The potassium-chloride cotransporter KCC2 might seem an unlikely target for the next generation of pain medications. The humble protein, found on neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal…

Drug Development

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Brain Activity Shifts as Pain Becomes Chronic

Lower back pain signals move from nociceptive regions to areas involved with emotional aspects of pain

by Abdul-Kareem Ahmed on 8 Oct 2013

Chronic back pain is associated with marked changes in brain activity compared to acute pain, says a new study from A. Vania Apkarian and colleagues at Northwestern University, Chicago,…

Research

Research Resources: Pain Networks Shows Connections Between Pain-Related Genes

New online tool provides fresh visual perspective on gene data

by Stephani Sutherland on 7 Oct 2013

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With the advent of high-throughput techniques such as microarrays, researchers have generated mountains of data about genes and proteins thought to participate in pain processes. But all that information…

Research

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: The Next Wave in Pain Treatment?

Non-invasive technique shows promise but needs more study

by Stephani Sutherland on 3 Oct 2013

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Electrical stimulation of the motor cortex was established as an effective treatment for pain 20 years ago, but the risks and drawbacks of surgically implanting electrodes in the brain…

Drug Development

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Opioid Receptor Activity Masks Traces of Past Pain Long After Injury

Interrupting signaling produces withdrawal, hyperalgesia in mice

by Michele Solis on 2 Oct 2013

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As an injury heals, the dissipation of pain over time is apparently not a simple return to normal. According to a study published September 20 in Science, the pain-free…

Research

Mutation in Nav1.9 Sodium Channel Linked to Pain Insensitivity in People

Unexpectedly, gain of function in channel appears to lead to loss of pain sensation

by Stephani Sutherland on 27 Sep 2013

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People with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) often come to severe bodily harm in the absence of protective painful feedback. Mutations leading to this infrequent disorder have been identified…

Research

First Responder: Nervous System Senses Bacterial Invasion

Staph organisms directly activate pain neurons and suppress immune response

by Carol Cruzan Morton on 29 Aug 2013

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A tender infection in a wound or surgical site by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus hurts for more reasons than anyone had suspected. A new study in mice shows that…

Research

News Brief: Substrate-Selective COX-2 Inhibitor Elevates Brain Endocannabinoids

Novel inhibitor reduces anxiety behaviors in mice, needs testing in pain models

by Pat McCaffrey on 20 Aug 2013

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Pharmacological strategies to increase endocannabinoids (ECs) could provide new treatments for a variety of diseases, from pain and inflammation to stress and anxiety disorders. A study published in the…

Research

Spinal Cord Stimulation: Promising Variation on a Theme?

Ramping up electrical frequency appears to alter neuronal activity in novel ways

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Aug 2013

Comment

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)—the delivery of pulses of electric current directly to the spinal cord via implanted electrodes—is an increasingly utilized pain treatment that gives some relief to about…

Research

Novel Mechanisms of Ion Channel Regulation Implicated in Neuropathic Pain

Studies identify roles for a long noncoding RNA and a ubiquitin ligase in rodent models of nerve injury

by Carol Cruzan Morton on 25 Jul 2013

Neuropathic pain is thought to arise from injured nerves made hypersensitive in part by increased expression of sodium channels and decreased expression of potassium channels. Two different papers report…

Research

GWAS Meta-Analysis Ties New Loci to Migraine Susceptibility

First common missense variant also reported at IHC 2013

by Megan Talkington and Neil Andrews on 10 Jul 2013

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In a paper posted online June 23 in Nature Genetics, teams of researchers led by the International Headache Genetics Consortium report the largest meta-analysis of genomewide association studies (GWAS)…

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Pain-Specific Brain Activity Is Subtle, and Scattered

New study suggests that even visual and auditory cortices show pain signatures

by Megan Talkington on 9 Jul 2013

Researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to define neural signatures of pain in the brain face a daunting task, because pain elicits complex and distributed activity in many…

Research

Wnt Signaling Linked to Neuropathic Pain

Developmental regulators may provide new target to prevent pain pathogenesis

by Stephani Sutherland on 28 Jun 2013

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The idea that reawakening of dormant developmental pathways, in mature sensory and spinal neurons after injury or insult, contributes to neuropathic pain has gained traction in recent years. Two…

Research

VGLUT3: First a Role in Hearing, Then a Part in Pain

A conversation with Rebecca Seal, a recipient of a 2013 Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain research grant from the Rita Allen Foundation and American Pain Society

by Neil Andrews on 17 Jun 2013

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This is the third in a three-part series of interviews with young investigators who were recognized for their work at the 8-11 May 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting of the…

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Elucidating a Role for Inhibitory Interneurons in Neuropathic Pain

A conversation with Reza Sharif-Naeini, a recipient of a 2013 Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain research grant from the Rita Allen Foundation and the American Pain Society

by Neil Andrews on 17 Jun 2013

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This is the second in a three-part series of interviews with young investigators who were recognized for their work at the 8-11 May 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting of the…

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Progress Toward Understanding and Treating Itch

Silencing itch-transducing neurons, a role for TRPA1 in chronic itch, and a new itch neurotransmitter

by Megan Talkington on 10 Jun 2013

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It has been a banner year for research into the neurobiology of itch, the close cousin of pain. Three recent studies add to the rapidly advancing understanding of the…

Research

Peptides Hit Soft Spot for TRPV1 Sensitization

Potential target for inflammatory hyperalgesia exposed

by Stephani Sutherland on 4 Jun 2013

Comment

A stratagem to quiet the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor type 1 (TRPV1) channel—rather than a frontal attack—might be the best way to quell its activity during pain, according…

Research

Papers of the Week: Playing Catch-Up With PAIN Citations

Backlog explains temporary bump in numbers this week

by PRF Editors on 31 May 2013

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Why so many papers this week? Normally the Friday list would contain 60 to 70 papers—this week we have 129, or double the usual number. What is going on? The answer…

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Pain-Related Fear in Children: From Psychology to Neuroimaging

A conversation with Laura Simons, recipient of the 2013 John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award from the American Pain Society

by Neil Andrews on 31 May 2013

Comment

This is the first in a three-part series of interviews with young investigators who were recognized for their work at the 8-11 May 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American…

Conferences

People

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Antibiotics May Relieve Some Chronic Low Back Pain, Study Suggests

Low-grade infection of herniated disc may be to blame

by Carol Cruzan Morton on 30 May 2013

Comment

The origin of most chronic low back pain is a mystery to doctors and researchers, but the prevailing theory favors biomechanical instability and prescribes exercise-based care. A pair of…

Research

News Brief: Sleep-Disrupting Gene Mutation Implicated in Migraine

Deficit in casein kinase I delta enzyme tied to migraine in families with hereditary sleep disorder

by Megan Talkington on 15 May 2013

In a paper published May 1 in Science Translational Medicine, researchers report that mutations in the gene encoding the circadian regulator casein kinase I delta (CKIδ) are associated with…

Research

Spinal Interneurons: Much More Than Middlemen

A conditional knockout of excitatory dorsal horn interneurons reveals their essential role in signaling pain and itch

by Pete Farley on 14 May 2013

Comment

Nociceptive afferents, which carry pain signals to the spinal cord, and the projection neurons that relay those signals to the brain, are understandably the focus of most research on…

Research

One Gene, Many Receptors: μ-Οpioid Receptor Variants Offer Targets for Improving Drugs

News from Experimental Biology 2013, Boston

by Stephani Sutherland on 13 May 2013

Comment

Nearly 100 years ago, physician David Macht wrote, “If the entire materia medica were limited to the choice and use of only one drug, I am sure … the…

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A Brain Signature for Physical Pain?

Complex pattern of brain activity marks response to painful heat

by Megan Talkington and Pat McCaffrey on 7 May 2013

In the April 11 New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report an advance toward the goal of an objective measure of pain. A team led by Tor Wager, University…

Research

It Feels Cold When the Heat’s Turned Off

Eradication of CGRP-expressing primary sensory neurons in mice reveals a direct role for the cells in heat, itch, and—unexpectedly—an indirect role in cold sensitivity

by Pete Farley on 22 Apr 2013

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Genetic ablation techniques, which can selectively excise particular cell types from living animals, have been a fruitful tool in recent sensory neuroscience research. In pain studies, these methods have…

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Organizing Principles

Classifying pain for healthcare, research

by Carol Cruzan Morton on 18 Apr 2013

Comment

Where does it hurt? How bad does it hurt? Why does it hurt? The many inconsistent and inadequate ways of sorting chronic pain by anatomy, severity, and associated medical…

Research

Watching Pain Become Chronic

In a mouse model of recurrent pancreatitis, TRPV1 and TRPA1 drive pain and inflammation early on—and then something changes

by Megan Talkington on 11 Apr 2013

How do acute painful bouts of inflammation progress to chronic, intractable pain? Identifying the molecular basis of that transition—and how to stop the process—is critical to understanding, and treating,…

Research

A Path to Personalized Pain Treatment?

Experts say clinic-based observational studies can provide the evidence needed for rational opioid prescribing

by Megan Talkington on 5 Apr 2013

Comment

Opioids are in crisis. Many physicians and patients say that the medications can be used responsibly to treat chronic pain. Yet experts also warn that prescriptions are out of…

Drug Development

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A New Cause for Unexplained Pain in Children

Small-fiber peripheral neuropathy not just for adults

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 Mar 2013

A new study of childhood-onset chronic pain could change the way that clinicians evaluate and treat unexplained pain in kids. Anne Louise Oaklander and Max Klein of the Massachusetts…

Research

A New Challenge to the Maladaptive Plasticity Theory of Phantom Limb Pain

Source of pain remains elusive

by David C. Holzman on 21 Mar 2013

Comment

For two decades, the leading theory of phantom limb pain has been that this condition is caused by “maladaptive plasticity.” When the brain’s primary sensorimotor cortex no longer receives…

Research

A New Link to Migraine's Pain

Pannexin channel opening in cortical neurons tied to activation of trigeminal nociceptors

by Richard Saltus on 12 Mar 2013

Comment

More than 2,400 years after Hippocrates described migraines, the exact mechanisms that produce these throbbing, long-lasting headaches, often preceded by an “aura” of bizarre visual and other sensations, have…

Research

Unraveling the Mysteries of TRPV1 Regulation

Activity of purified channel in artificial liposomes suggests the protein is intrinsically heat sensitive, and negatively regulated by phosphoinositide lipids

by Stephani Sutherland on 11 Mar 2013

The transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channel has emerged as a complex integrator of signals that can lead to chronic pain and hyperalgesia. Yet even as the…

Research

Making an IMMPACT on Pain Research

A decade after its first meeting, initiative has helped clinical trials move from confusion to consensus

by Megan Talkington on 5 Mar 2013

Comment

At the 2002 World Congress on Pain, two researchers got to talking. Robert Dworkin of the University of Rochester, New York, US, and Dennis Turk of the University of…

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When an Ounce of Prevention Is the Cure for Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Shingles vaccine proven to reduce painful postherpetic neuralgia, but vaccination rates lag

by Raji Edayathumangalam on 26 Feb 2013

Comment

For many chronic or neuropathic pain conditions, the causes are obscure and treatments equally elusive. That is not the case for shingles and its sequelae, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The…

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