Pain and Nociception Neuroscience Research Group

Our group studies central nervous system neuroplasticity – sensory, cognitive and motor – resulting from noxious input, and its relation to pain diseases.

Improved understanding of altered CNS processing underlying pain diseases and their outcomes is the basis for better clinical diagnosis and treatment. Our research is based on translational integration of animal, human and clinical pain and nociception research, and occurs in the context of interdisciplinary internal, national and international collaborations.

Present areas of active research interest include:

• Human experimental model of central neuroplasticity associated with chronic pain development (induction of long-term potentiation of nociceptive pathways by high-frequency electric stimulation)
• Translational model of neuropathic pain (animal: freely moving rat CCI model with EEG monitoring; human: post-surgical)
• Early and late changes in sensory and cognitive processing as a result of surgery, and their relationship to short- and long-term outcomes
• Impact of preoperative state of sensory and cognitive processing/modulation on short- and long-term postoperative pain and cognitive outcomes
• Changes in sensory, cognitive and motor processing present in clinical chronic pain syndromes
• Effects of drugs affecting nociception-induced central neuroplasticity regarding prevention and treatment of chronic pain disorders

We use multiple techniques to study nociception-induced central neuroplasticity, including:

• psychophysical methods to study pain sensitivity/modulation (multimodal QST, CPM/DNIC)
• neuroelectrophysiological methods (EEG, EPs, ERPs, oddball/flanker paradigms)
• neuroimaging techniques (fMRI)
• cognitive function testing

We collaborate with the group “Genetics of brain function and (psychiatric) malfunction” to study interactions between genetics, nociception-induced central neuroplasticity and pain diseases.

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