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Pain Neuroscience news articles cover science research about pain receptors, nociceptors, nociception, sensory neurons, somatosensory cortex, chronic pain, acute pain, nocioceptors, musculoskeletal pain, therapies, phantom limb pain and other pain research.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 24, 2025·4 min read

Placebo Triggers Brain’s Opioid System to Relieve Pain

Researchers have successfully induced the placebo effect in rats, uncovering the neural mechanisms behind how belief in pain relief can reduce the perception of pain. Using conditioning, rats learned to associate injections with pain relief, and later exhibited reduced pain responses even when injected with saline.

Featured Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·May 20, 2025·6 min read

Depression May Signal Chronic Pain Years Before It Starts

Middle-aged and older adults who experience chronic pain often show worsening symptoms of depression up to eight years before the pain begins. A large-scale study found that depressive symptoms and loneliness increased long before pain onset, suggesting mental health may play a causal role in later physical discomfort.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 20, 2025·4 min read

Next-Gen Painkiller Blocks Pain Without the High

Summary: A new experimental drug, SBI-810, may deliver potent pain relief without the addictive and harmful side effects of opioids....

Featured Neurology Pain Psychology

·May 19, 2025·5 min read

How Therapy Rewires the Brain to Ease Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects one in five adults, and medication alone doesn’t always offer relief. A new review reveals that psychological treatments—particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—can reduce pain through measurable changes in the brain. The review of multiple studies found that therapy shifts brain network activity, helping people loosen harmful thought patterns and reduce emotional stress linked to pain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 17, 2025·4 min read

Tylenol Targets Pain Through Unexpected Endocannabinoid Pathway

A new study reveals that acetaminophen (Tylenol) relieves pain by reducing levels of an endocannabinoid called 2-AG, rather than increasing it as previously thought. This discovery challenges decades-old assumptions about how pain relief works and may open the door to designing safer, more targeted medications.

This shows a foot radiating red light, symbolizing pain.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 13, 2025·7 min read

Century-Old Mystery May Hold the Key to Diabetic Nerve Pain

A little-known cellular structure called the Nageotte nodule—first described over 100 years ago—has been identified as a key feature of diabetic neuropathy in new research. These nodules, made of decayed sensory neurons and support cells, were found in abundance in the sensory ganglia of diabetic organ donors.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·May 7, 2025·5 min read

Gut Microbiome Reveals Chronic Pain Risk, AI Study Finds

New research shows that AI can identify complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with over 90% accuracy by analyzing gut microbiome patterns. Despite differences in geography and diet, a shared "microbiome signature" was detected across patients from Israel and Canada.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·May 6, 2025·8 min read

Emotional Regulation Offers a New Path to Relief

A new study shows that improving emotional processing can significantly reduce chronic pain and improve quality of life. Researchers developed Pain and Emotion Therapy, an online intervention teaching emotional regulation, which led to notable pain reduction in participants.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·April 29, 2025·6 min read

Negative Expectations Worsen Pain More Than Positive Ones Ease It

New research shows that negative expectations, known as nocebo effects, exert a stronger and longer-lasting impact on pain perception than positive expectations, or placebo effects. In a two-session study, participants consistently reported more intense pain when they expected worse outcomes, while the benefits of expecting relief were weaker.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 23, 2025·4 min read

Clearing Zombie Cells Eases Back Pain

A new preclinical study has found that two drugs—o-Vanillin and RG-7112—can clear “zombie cells” from spinal discs, potentially treating the root cause of chronic low back pain. These senescent cells accumulate with age or injury and cause inflammation, pain, and tissue damage.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 13, 2025·10 min read

Lab-Grown Nerve Circuit Recreates Human Pain Pathway

Researchers have recreated the human ascending sensory pathway in a lab dish, using organoids that model the key brain and spinal cord regions responsible for transmitting pain. This breakthrough allows scientists to observe how pain signals travel from peripheral neurons to the brain for the first time outside the body.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 13, 2025·6 min read

Why You Sometimes Don’t Feel Pain Until It’s Too Late

New research highlights how the brain’s own chemistry can suppress pain, explaining why severely injured individuals, like WWII soldiers, sometimes feel little discomfort. The key lies in a brain region called the periaqueductal grey (PAG), which dampens pain signals before they reach conscious awareness.