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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 Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·March 19, 2026·9 min read

Why Chronic Pain Leads to Depression

New research reveals that the hippocampus acts as a control center for chronic pain, and a specific "inflammatory switch" determines who develops depression.

This shows a woman holding chocolate and a table with pain pills.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·October 8, 2025·6 min read

Why Comfort Food Feels Like Medicine for People in Chronic Pain

A new study reveals that more than two-thirds of people living with chronic pain turn to comfort foods—especially chocolate—for emotional relief and distraction during flare-ups. Eating provides temporary pleasure and even mild pain relief, likely due to biological effects of high-calorie foods on the brain’s reward and pain systems.

Featured Neurology Pain

·November 13, 2017·5 min read

Why Head and Face Pain Cause More Suffering

Duke researchers have discovered head and facial sensory neurons are directly wired into one of the brain's main emotional signaling hubs. Sensory neurons throughout the rest of the body are indirectly connected to the system. The findings help explain why head and face pains are more emotionally draining than other pains.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·July 18, 2021·5 min read

Why It Hurts to See Others Suffer: Pain and Empathy Linked in the Brain

Reducing sensitivity to physical pain resulted in a reduction of pain empathy toward others, a study found. The results suggest a possible neurobiological link between pain and empathy.

This shows a man sitting on the floor in pain

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 4, 2022·4 min read

Why Long COVID Can Cause Pain

COVID-19 infection leaves a gene expression signature in the dorsal root ganglia which persist after the virus has cleared. The signature matched other gene expression patterns seen in pain caused by other conditions.

Featured Neurology Pain Psychology

·December 30, 2020·3 min read

Why Opioids Cannot Fix Chronic Pain

Study explores the role the reward system plays in chronic pain, finding emotional and physical pain are bidirectional. Opioids, researchers report, ultimately make things worse.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·September 6, 2020·3 min read

Why People with Knee Osteoarthritis Experience Different Kinds of Pain

People with osteoarthritis in the knee who report more pain sensations are more likely to suffer constant and unpredictable pain. Researchers identified a potential mechanism in the nervous system that could explain why people experience varying pain patterns associated with knee osteoarthritis.

Featured Neurology Pain Psychology

·May 29, 2018·3 min read

Why Some Gain While in Pain

A new study looks at why pain enhances some people's ability to perform well.

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.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Pain

·August 17, 2021·4 min read

Widespread Pain Linked to Heightened Dementia and Stroke Risk

Widespread pain, a subset of chronic pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders, is linked to an increased risk of all types of dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, and a greater risk of stroke.

Three people are shown in the picture with a building in the background.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Pain

·March 29, 2019·5 min read

Woman with novel gene mutation lives almost pain-free

A rare genetic mutation has been associated with pain insensitivity. The findings could further research into new treatments to target pain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Pain

·October 26, 2023·5 min read

Your Favorite Song Might Just Be Your Pain’s Worst Enemy

Researchers discovered that music, specifically individuals' favorite tracks, can reduce pain perception. In the study, participants felt less pain intensity and unpleasantness when listening to their favorite music compared to unfamiliar relaxing tunes or silence.