Collection 

Neurobiology of chronic pain

Submission status
Open
Submission deadline

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.

To submit, see the participating journals
A wooden figure leaning over holding its back, meant to represent the concept of back pain.

This Collection is open for submissions from all authors – and not by invitation only – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Communications Biology, Nature Communications and Scientific Reports more generally.

All manuscripts will be considered for publication according to the editorial policies of the specific journal through which they are submitted, namely Communications Biology, Nature Communications and Scientific Reports. Visit Nature Portfolio’s Collections guidelines for more details.

When submitting your manuscript to Communications Biology, Nature Communications or Scientific Reports via our online submission system, please choose the appropriate Collection title from the drop-down menu on the submission form. Please be sure to express your interest in the Collection in your cover letter. Please only submit to one journal, but note authors have the option to transfer to another participating journal following the editors’ recommendation.

This Collection has not been supported by sponsorship.