It is widely understood that pain is a complex phenomenon, and a primary cause of distress and disability in many medical contexts. However, a precise understanding of the complex neural circuitry involved has not been available. In recent years, new methodological developments have enabled direct measurement and manipulation of the brain in pain, providing new insights into the origins of chronic pain. Moreover, recent longitudinal studies confirm earlier clinical observations that early life adversity greatly increases risk for chronic pain in adult life. These insights are changing the way we think about what pain is, how it is related to emotion, and how it can be successfully prevented and treated.

This research has yielded two emerging, and still controversial, insights: First, pain is more than a set of responses in nociceptive ‘pain sensory’ circuits. Pain arises from interactions between nociceptive circuits and a wider set of systems involved in emotion, thought, and motivation. Second, dysregulation of these systems in chronic pain may be a primary cause of disability and suffering. A major benefit of psychological and behavioral treatments may be in remodeling these systems, and understanding them at a mechanistic level is critical for refining existing treatments and developing new ones.

October 15, 2016

8:00 – 10:00am Session 1: Early adversity and chronic pain: State of the field

10:00 – 11:30am Session 2: What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in acute and chronic pain?

1:00 – 2:30pm Session 3: Linking prefrontal-striatal function, emotion, and pain

3:00 – 5:00pm Session 4: Implications for prevention, treatment, and self-regulation