Latest

Pain

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 Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·July 10, 2025·6 min read

Brain Pathway Reveals How Pain Feels Emotionally

Pain is more than a physical signal — it also carries emotional weight that shapes our response and memory of discomfort. A new study identifies a group of neurons in the thalamus that directly links pain signals to the brain’s emotional center.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·June 20, 2025·4 min read

Chronic Pain Linked to Neuron Overactivity in the Brainstem

A new study reveals that neurons in the brainstem respond very differently to acute versus chronic pain, potentially explaining why some pain persists long after injury. In acute pain, neurons in the medullary dorsal horn reduce their activity through a natural “braking” system involving A-type potassium currents, helping limit pain signals.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·June 19, 2025·5 min read

Pain Perception in Babies Develops in Stages After Birth

A new study shows that the networks responsible for processing pain in infants develop gradually, with emotional and cognitive pain responses maturing only after birth. Researchers scanned the brains of 372 infants, primarily born prematurely, to track how three brain subsystems related to pain perception matured over time.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·June 10, 2025·3 min read

How Acetaminophen Silences Pain Before It Reaches the Brain

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) doesn’t just work in the brain—it also shuts off pain at its source in the peripheral nerves. The study found that after taking paracetamol, the body produces a compound called AM404 directly in pain-sensing nerve endings.

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.