NeuroGame: Can Neuromodulation Of Brain Rhythms Relieve Chronic Pain?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,568,407.00
Summary
The growing number of overdoses and deaths caused by opioids in the therapy of chronic pain shows the urgent need to develop and test novel chronic pain treatments. We will address this need by developing and testing a novel and safe intervention that can provide pain relief via the primary source of pain: the brain. We will use cutting-edge imaging technology to unravel brain mechanism responsible for the recovery of chronic pain, including efforts to prevent rather than relive chronic pain.
Pharmacological Strategies To Enhance Endogenous Opioid Actions In Pain Circuits.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,318,226.00
Summary
Boosting endogenous opioid actions in our brain may allow us to utilize this system to reduce pain and the related disability without the addiction and overdose threat associated with opioid drugs. We have shown that we can enhance endogenous opioid actions using two pharmacological strategies. We will now determine how we can use these strategies to enhance endogenous opioid regulation of the neural function and behaviours important in pain and related anxiety disorders.
Preventing The Transition From Acute To Chronic Pain. The Role Of Neural And Non-neural Factors.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,998,900.00
Summary
Pain following injury usually dissipates as the injury heals, however in some individuals it persists and lasts for years. Chronic pain is extremely difficult to treat, particularly that which originates from a damaged nerve. One of the roadblocks in developing effective treatments is our limited understanding of the pathophysiology. The overall aim of this proposal is to address this gap and determine the processes that occur in the brain that results in acute pain transitioning to chronic.