Neurobiology of chronic pain

Pain serves as a warning system for actual or potential tissue damage but has a devastating impact when it lasts beyond its physiological role. Effective treatments for chronic pain remain a largely unmet medical need. While there have been considerable advances in our understanding of pain physiology, less is known about what makes pain chronic.

This Collection welcomes original research Articles offering new insights into the neural mechanisms of transduction, transmission and processing underlying the initiation and chronicity of pain. These include but are not limited to neurophysiological, behavioural, chemo-/optogenetic circuits and pharmacological studies as well as neuroimaging studies in individuals with chronic pain and studies looking at the interplay between the nociceptive system and other systems such as the circadian or immune systems. We also encourage submissions that showcase new tools and approaches to explore the mechanisms and treatment of pain.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3.