All Articles Tagged As: pain

Thicker brains fend off pain (3/2/2010)

People can reduce their sensitivity to pain by thickening their brain, according to a new study published in a special issue of the American Psychological Association journal, Emotion. Researchers from the Universite de Montreal made their discovery by comparing the gray matter thickness of Zen meditators and non-meditators. They found evidence that practicing the centuries-old discipline of Zen can reinforce a central brain region (anterior cingulate) that regulates pain. ...> Full Article

Could acetaminophen ease psychological pain? (12/28/2009)

Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of depression and anxiety. But is it possible that a common painkiller could serve double duty, easing not just the physical pains of sore joints and headaches, but also the pain of social rejection? ...> Full Article

'Emotions increase or decrease pain': researchers (11/13/2009)

Getting a flu shot this fall? Canadians scientists have found that focusing on a pretty image could alleviate the sting of that vaccine. According to a new Universite de Montreal study, published in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, negative and positive emotions have a direct impact on pain. ...> Full Article

The pain of torture can make the innocent seem guilty (10/29/2009)

Psychologists at Harvard University have found that the more a person appears to suffer when tortured, the guiltier they are perceived to be. According to the researchers, those complicit with the torture need to justify the torture, and therefore link the victim's pain to blame. ...> Full Article

Infant pain, adult repercussions (10/1/2009)

Researchers explore mechanisms of how infant pain changes sensitivity in adults ...> Full Article

It's not all in your head: Descending neural mechanisms of placebo-induced pain control (9/1/2009)

A new study reveals that when it comes to pain control, the "placebo effect" involves evolutionarily old pain control pathways in the human brainstem, the part of the brain that is continuous with the spinal cord. The research, published by Cell Press in the Aug. 27 issue of the journal Neuron, provides fascinating mechanistic insight into how and why simply expecting that a treatment will reduce pain can act as an effective analgesic. ...> Full Article

Active ingredients in marijuana found to spread and prolong pain (8/19/2009)

Research has implications for medical use of drug and concepts of chronic pain ...> Full Article

The price of pain and the value of suffering (4/25/2009)

A new study reveals that demand for pain relief is almost completely dependent on pain experienced in the recent past and the available cash on hand. That is, the participants were willing to pay more money to avoid pain if that pain was more intense compared to previous trials. In addition, the price they were willing to pay was based on what they were given (money-in-the-pocket) rather than on their overall wealth. ...> Full Article

Pain hurts more if the person hurting you means it (12/17/2008)

Psychologists at Harvard University have found that pain hurts more when we think that someone intended to cause hurt. Intentional pain also seems to have a fresh sting every time, whereas we get used to unintentional pain. ...> Full Article

Baffling chronic pain linked to rewiring of brain (11/28/2008)

Brain looks like inept cable guy changed the hookups ...> Full Article

Pain and itch responses regulated separately (11/19/2008)

Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body's response to pain, but researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms. ...> Full Article

Pain automatically activates facial muscle groups (10/28/2008)

A study has found that people who facially express pain in a more intense way are not exaggerating if their perception of a painful stimulation is controlled. ...> Full Article

Researching the power of the placebo effect in arthritis patients (8/9/2008)

People with arthritis are to take part in new research carried out at The University of Manchester to find out more about how the placebo effect works. ...> Full Article

Portable device effective in zapping away migraine pain (6/29/2008)

A novel electronic device designed to "zap" away migraine pain before it starts has proven to be the next form of relief for those suffering from the debilitating disease ...> Full Article

Phantoms in the brain: Pain after amputation (5/13/2008)

>Losing a limb can be a traumatic experience and, in some cases, emotional and physical pain can linger for years ...> Full Article

Fruit fly avoidance mechanism could lead to new ways to control pain in humans (5/12/2008)

A team has discovered for the first time that the important developmental switch from food attraction to aversion in the fruit fly larva is controlled by a timing mechanism in the brain and its sensory system ...> Full Article

Pain Receptor in Brain May Be Linked to Learning and Memory (3/14/2008)

For the first time, a Brown University research team has linked pain receptors found throughout the nervous system to learning and memory in the brain. The findings, published in Neuron, point up new drug targets for memory loss or epileptic seizures. ...> Full Article

Costly placebo works better than cheap one (3/7/2008)

A 10-cent pill doesn't kill pain as well as a $2.50 pill, even when they are identical placebos ...> Full Article

The myth of runner's high revisited with brain imaging (3/4/2008)

For the first time scientists demonstrate in long-distance runners the release of endorphins in the brain ...> Full Article

Chronic Pain Harms the Brain (2/10/2008)

People with unrelenting pain don't only suffer from the nonstop sensation of throbbing pain. They also have trouble sleeping, are often depressed, anxious and even have difficulty making simple decisions. ...> Full Article

Biologists link locust comas with human migraine (2/10/2008)

Studying the lowly locust could lead to improved migraine drugs for people. ...> Full Article

Painless migraines still pack a punch (2/10/2008)

Most migraine sufferers just want the aching to go away, but Baylor College of Medicine ophthalmologists say even "painless" migraines can still pack a punch. ...> Full Article

Research Suggests Why Scratching is So Relieving (2/2/2008)

In the first study to use imaging technology to see what goes on in the brain when we scratch, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so relieving - and why it can be hard to stop. The work is reported online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and will appear in a future print issue. ...> Full Article

Aching Back? Put Your Mind To It (1/29/2008)

Study in Journal PAIN Describes Relief by Mindfulness Meditation ...> Full Article

Strong drugs without the addiction (11/24/2007)

Two University of Adelaide pharmacologists working with one the world's leading neuroscientists have helped pave the way for the development of new pain-killing drugs that are not addictive. ...> Full Article

Brain differences found in people with migraine (11/20/2007)

People with migraines have differences in an area of the brain that helps process sensory information, including pain. ...> Full Article

Watching funny shows helps children tolerate pain longer, study finds (10/28/2007)

Watching comedy shows helps children tolerate pain for longer periods of time. ...> Full Article

Researchers develop targeted approach to pain management (10/4/2007)

Scientists have combined a normally inactive lidocaine derivative with capsaicin, the 'heat'-generating ingredient in chili peppers, to produce pain-specific local anesthesia. When injected into rats, this combination completely blocked pain without interfering with either motor function or sensitivity to non-painful stimuli. ...> Full Article

Doctors Learn To Control Their Own Brains' Pain Responses To Better Treat Patients (10/1/2007)

Physicians apparently learn to "shut off" the portion of their brain that helps them appreciate the pain their patients experience while treating them and instead activate a portion of the brain connected with controlling emotions, according to new research using brain scans at the University of Chicago. ...> Full Article