/newsroom/taxonomy/term/8253/all en /newsroom/channels/news/childhood-trauma-increases-risk-chronic-pain-adulthood-353822 <p><!-- x-tinymce/html --></p> <p>Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or neglect, either alone or combined with other types of childhood trauma, increases the risk of chronic pain and related disability in adulthood, according to new research. The findings from an international team of experts, including several ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University researchers, underscore the urgency of addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – potentially traumatic events that occur before 18 years of age – and taking steps to mitigate their long-term impact on people’s health.  </p> Wed, 20 Dec 2023 21:08:38 +0000 keila.depape@mcgill.ca 307563 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/new-model-identify-and-predict-chronic-pain-349138 <p>Chronic pain is a complex condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide and understanding its causes and predicting its trajectory remains difficult. However, findings from <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02430-4">a recent ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ-led study published in <i>Nature Medicine</i></a> could improve the understanding and management of chronic pain. The researchers developed a model that can predict one’s likelihood of developing chronic pain as well as the severity and spread of that pain.</p> Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:18:00 +0000 frederique.mazerolle@mcgill.ca 306465 at /newsroom /newsroom/etienne-vachon-presseau Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:37:43 +0000 lawrence.chiang@mail.mcgill.ca 303994 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/no-pain-no-gain-how-brain-chooses-between-pain-and-profit-340351 <p>Imagine having to choose over and over between what you enjoy doing and the pain that it might cause you, whether physical or emotional. If you live with conditions such as depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, you are probably familiar with making these difficult choices on a daily or weekly basis. But surprisingly little is known about which areas of the brain are involved in decisions of this kind.</p> Thu, 14 Jul 2022 16:19:57 +0000 katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca 288246 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/sex-bias-pain-research-322305 <p>It is increasingly clear that male and female humans and rodents process pain in different ways. And that there are important differences in the underlying mechanisms involved at genetic, molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. Despite this fact, according to a review paper from ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University published today in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-020-0310-6"><i>Nature Reviews Neuroscience</i></a>, most pain research remains overwhelmingly based on the study of male rodents, continuing to test hypotheses derived from earlier experiments on males.</p> Thu, 21 May 2020 14:04:36 +0000 justin.dupuis@mcgill.ca 212044 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/pain-induced-changes-brains-opioid-system-may-explain-limited-effectiveness-opioid-therapy-chronic-287353 <div><span>Pain-induced changes in the brain’s opioid receptor system may explain the limited effectiveness of opioid therapy in chronic pain and may play a role in the depression that often accompanies it, according to a study from the NIH’s Intramural Research Program and ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Although the study, published in the journal Pain, was conducted in rats, and the results of animal studies may not be directly applicable to people, the findings provide new insights into how the brain may respond to pain and opioids.</span></div> <div> </div> Sun, 27 May 2018 16:19:57 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 41564 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/newly-discovered-pathway-pain-processing-could-lead-new-treatments-269285 <p>The discovery of a new biological pathway involved in pain processing offers hope of using existing cancer drugs to replace the use of opioids in chronic pain treatment, according to scientists at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ</p> <p>Because many therapeutic options, such as opioids, for patients with chronic pain carry the risk of addiction and undesirable side effects, this breakthrough offers promising lines of research into chronic pain treatment, says Luda Diatchenko, professor at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ’s Faculty of Dentistry and co-lead author of the new study</p> Tue, 08 Aug 2017 14:20:15 +0000 priya.pajel@mail.mcgill.ca 32149 at /newsroom