Tag Archive for 'Chronic pain'

Abdo et al discovered a meshlike organ covering the skin that senses dangerous environmental stimuli. Image credit: Tarkan K.

Researchers Discover New Pain Organ in Human Skin

Aug 19, 2019 by News Staff

A team of scientists at Karolinska Institutet has discovered a previously unknown meshlike organ in the skin that is sensitive to painful mechanical damage,...

Hospital insects present a potential to contribute to persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the hospital environment. Image credit: Virvoreanu Laurentiu.

Insects Experience Chronic Pain after Serious Injury

Jul 15, 2019 by News Staff

Insects can enter a neuropathic pain-like state after nerve injury, according to a new study in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Khuong et al offer...

Pain in osteoarthritis poses a substantial social and economic burden with fewer than 25% of patients having adequate pain control. NGF has emerged as a key driver of pain behavior in murine studies and antibodies to NGF are potent analgesics in human osteoarthritis. Using a novel virus-like particle, von Loga et al created a therapeutic vaccine that reversibly induced antibodies against NGF and abrogated pain behavior in murine osteoarthritis. Image credit: OpenStax / CC BY 4.0.

Novel Vaccine Blocks Osteoarthritis Pain in Mice

Mar 12, 2019 by News Staff

An international team of scientists from the UK, Switzerland and Latvia has developed a virus-like particle vaccine that could be used to treat chronic...

The unpleasantness of pain is an emotional phenomenon distinct from pain’s sensory qualities. To study how the brain processes pain-related emotions, Corder et al used neural calcium imaging in freely behaving mice. The team identified brain circuits that respond to pain and directly tested their causal role in motivational behaviors associated with acute and chronic pain. Image credit: Corder et al, doi: 10.1126/science.aap8586.

Neuroscientists Identify Neurons that Make Pain Unpleasant

Jan 22, 2019 by News Staff

Pain sensation and the emotional experience of pain are not the same. A research team at Stanford University has now identified a group of neurons in mice...

The pilot study data suggest an abnormally high prevalence of pain in Meru, Kenya, and that monosodium glutamate intake, combined with dehydration, may be contributing to chronic widespread pain in this region. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Glutamate Consumption Enhances Chronic Pain Symptoms, Study Says

Feb 20, 2018 by News Staff

A new pilot study, carried our in Kenya, has found a link between chronic pain and consumption of monosodium glutamate, a common flavor and taste enhancer...

In the study, whole-brain degree count maps, collected before the start of treatment, were used to identify potential brain regional markers for placebo propensity. Group differences in whole-brain maps for degree count (number of connections of any location to the rest of the brain) between placebo responders and non-responders identified four brain regions that differentiated placebo responders from non-responders. The highest significant difference was seen for the right midfrontal gyrus. Abbreviations: r-MFG - right midfrontal gyrus; ACC - anterior cingulate cortex; PCC - posterior cingulate cortex; r-S2/M1 - right secondary somatosensory and primary motor cortex. Image credit: Tétreault P. et al.

New Study Spotlights Brain Region Responsible for Placebo Response in Pain

Oct 31, 2016 by News Staff

A Northwestern University-led team of researchers has identified a region in the brain responsible for the ‘placebo effect’ in pain relief, when a...

An ‘out of body experience’ could help people suffering from chronic pain.

‘Out of Body Experience’ Can Tackle Chronic Pain, Research Shows

Aug 11, 2016 by News Staff

A new study published in the European Journal of Pain shows that inducing a virtual ‘out of body experience’ can significantly reduce the intensity...

Structure of Botox, left, and Tetanus toxin.

Modified Botox Could be New Treatment for Chronic Pain, Epilepsy

Nov 1, 2013 by News Staff

By using neurotoxins produced by bacteria of the genus Clostridium (C. botulinum and C. tetani), commonly known as Botox and Tetanus toxin respectively,...