Information processing is carried by neural circuits. Defining these circuits using non-invasive neuroimaging in humans and animals allows us to define circuits involved in pain processing. Pain is critical to living organism's adaptation to the environment, which under normal circumstances allows for protection (withdrawal or guarding) of the individual or body part from harm. Much of the information of pain neural circuits has been derived from marine and non-human primate basic science in anatomy, physiology and molecular biology. Clinical work has also contributed to our understanding of these circuits. However, with the advent of non-invasive neuroimaging we can being to dissect, with great clarity and anatomical definition, functional systems within the human brain that are involved in pain processing in healthy volunteers, surrogate models of pain and in patients with acute or chronic pain. For example, our group has been among the first to evaluate the nucleus accumbens or cerebellum in pain in humans. The definition of these circuits also allows us to define specific informational processing systems common to the animal and human, thus allowing specific interrogation of targets for future therapies for chronic pain.

current programs

• trigeminal system
• reward/aversion
• diffuse optical tomography

relevant pubmed p.a.i.n. group publications

relevant non-pubmed p.a.i.n. group publications