Refining And Testing A Promising New Treatment For Chronic Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,947.00
Summary
Chronic pain costs Australia about 35 billion dollars a year. Recent scientific discoveries show that treatment aimed at correcting problems in how the brain processes sensory input can reduce pain and disability. This project will clarify some key aspects of these problems and use that information to make final adjustments to an already very promising treatment. We will then test the treatment in a definitive and comprehensive clinical trial.
Testing The Imprecision Hypothesis Of Chronic Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$788,984.00
Summary
Pain usually occurs when something triggers activity in danger receptors, which are all over the body. The brain receives a huge amount of other sensory input too, which tells the brain what was happening when the danger arose. The brain imprints this sensory barrage and uses it as an early (painful!) warning system next time. If the imprint is imprecise, then the painful warning occurs in non-dangerous situations. We will test whether imprecise imprinting of the sensory input causes the gradual ....Pain usually occurs when something triggers activity in danger receptors, which are all over the body. The brain receives a huge amount of other sensory input too, which tells the brain what was happening when the danger arose. The brain imprints this sensory barrage and uses it as an early (painful!) warning system next time. If the imprint is imprecise, then the painful warning occurs in non-dangerous situations. We will test whether imprecise imprinting of the sensory input causes the gradual development of chronic debilitating pain.Read moreRead less
Understanding Persistent Low Back Pain Where It Resides, In The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$848,972.00
Summary
Low back pain is a leading cause of disability amongst Australians. A critical question is why some people get better after hurting their back while others do not. This project examines whether changes in the brain predict low back pain outcome. This information will rapidly advance our understanding of low back pain and has the potential to facilitate the development of novel therapies.