https://neurosciencenews.com/neuroscience-topics/neurology/pain/ Neuroscience News provides research news for neuroscience, neurology, psychology, AI, brain science, mental health, robotics and cognitive sciences. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:19:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://neurosciencenews.com/files/2020/08/cropped-Neuroscience-News-Site-Icon-512-comp-32x32.jpg https://neurosciencenews.com/neuroscience-topics/neurology/pain/ 32 32 66008408 https://neurosciencenews.com/social-information-pain-expectations-30313/ https://neurosciencenews.com/social-information-pain-expectations-30313/#respond Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:18:59 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=115434 A new study reveals how social "suggestions" act as a volume knob for pain, creating feedback loops that make negative experiences persist.]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/social-information-pain-expectations-30313/feed/ 0 115434 https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-sound-sensitivity-30237/ https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-sound-sensitivity-30237/#respond Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:34:36 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=115157 New research shows that chronic back pain rewires the brain to amplify sound, but specialized therapy can reset the brain's "volume knob."]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-sound-sensitivity-30237/feed/ 0 115157 https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-brain-fingerprint-30234/ https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-brain-fingerprint-30234/#respond Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:51:01 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=115145 Researchers identify personalized "pain connectomes" in the brain, proving that chronic pain can be objectively measured through precision neuroimaging.]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-brain-fingerprint-30234/feed/ 0 115145 https://neurosciencenews.com/cold-sensor-trpm8-neuroscience-30158/ https://neurosciencenews.com/cold-sensor-trpm8-neuroscience-30158/#respond Sat, 21 Feb 2026 17:01:31 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=114863 How do we feel the frost? Scientists have captured the first atomic-level images of the body’s "cold sensor" in action, revealing how menthol tricks our brain.]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/cold-sensor-trpm8-neuroscience-30158/feed/ 0 114863 https://neurosciencenews.com/nicotine-withdrawal-pain-30027/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:28:16 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=114284 A new study shows that abstinent smokers experience heightened pain sensitivity linked to altered activity in specific brain regions. Compared to nonsmokers, abstinent smokers required more postoperative pain relief—especially opioids—and their pain sensitivity increased the longer they remained nicotine-free. ]]> 114284 https://neurosciencenews.com/visual-pain-touch-perception-29990/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:48:43 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=114134 Watching someone experience pain on screen activates your own brain’s touch-processing system in a highly organized, body-specific way. Visual regions of the brain contain hidden maps of the body that allow sight alone to trigger sensations normally produced by physical contact. ]]> 114134 https://neurosciencenews.com/nano-tech-cbd-pain-29910/ https://neurosciencenews.com/nano-tech-cbd-pain-29910/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:58:24 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113789 A new study shows that CBD delivered through a nano-micelle system can cross the blood–brain barrier and produce rapid neuropathic pain relief. The formulation, called CBD-IN, helped mice within 30 minutes and avoided the motor and cognitive side effects often seen with conventional pain drugs. ]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/nano-tech-cbd-pain-29910/feed/ 5 113789 https://neurosciencenews.com/pain-resilience-activity-29849/ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:24:45 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113536 A new study reveals that how people think about and cope with chronic pain is more important than the pain itself in determining physical activity levels. Researchers found that individuals with higher pain resilience — the ability to maintain positive functioning despite pain — were significantly more active than those with lower resilience. ]]> 113536 https://neurosciencenews.com/hunger-fear-pain-brainstem-29792/ https://neurosciencenews.com/hunger-fear-pain-brainstem-29792/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:36:55 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113289 Chronic pain affects nearly 50 million Americans, yet new research reveals the brain may have an internal switch that can turn it down. Scientists identified a group of neurons in the brainstem that regulate long-term pain by integrating signals related to hunger, fear, and thirst. ]]> https://neurosciencenews.com/hunger-fear-pain-brainstem-29792/feed/ 1 113289 https://neurosciencenews.com/chronic-pain-comfort-eating-29789/ Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:21:43 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113277 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.]]> 113277 https://neurosciencenews.com/psilocybin-pain-depression-29758/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 19:46:12 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113147 New research shows that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, can reduce both chronic pain and pain-related depression by modulating brain circuits rather than acting at the site of injury. In mouse studies, a single dose provided pain relief and mood benefits lasting nearly two weeks by targeting the anterior cingulate cortex. ]]> 113147 https://neurosciencenews.com/musician-pain-brain-29746/ Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:06:55 +0000 https://neurosciencenews.com/?p=113070 A new study finds that musicians experience pain differently than non-musicians, thanks to how their brains adapt through years of training. While pain usually shrinks the brain’s motor maps and increases discomfort, musicians showed stable motor maps and reported less pain after induced hand soreness. ]]> 113070