“Psychobiological analysis of musculoskeletal pain and the development of mechanism-based treatment components”
Project leader: Prof. Dr. Herta Flor
Research assistants: Sandra Kamping, Dipl.-Psych.; Pia Schneider, Dipl.-Psych.; Dr. Oliver Grimm, Psychiater; Sabine Meidner, MTA;
Funded by: German Ministry for Research and Education as part of the consortium on “Localized and generalized musculoskeletal pain: psychobiological mechanisms and implications for treatment”
Duration: 01.02.2011 till 31.012014
Project description:
We will examine to what extent enhanced central sensitization and deficient descending inhibition as assessed by stress analgesia are core characteristics of widespread muskuloskeletal pain and how they differ in localized pain. We will also evaluate to what extent early life stress, comorbidity with mental disorder and pain-related resources and coping strategies modulate these centrally mediated responses. To test these hypotheses we will use behavioural and subjective, and psychophysical pain assessments and combine them with functional magnetic resonance imaging of sensitization and stress analgesia in patients with localized and widespread pain compared to patients with depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and matched healthy controls. By using compounds that modulate the endocannabinoid system we will assess its role in sensitization and descending inhibition. Finally, we will define subgroups of patients with varying extent of these psychobiological markers and develop mechanism-based treatment interventions that can be tested in the next funding period. In cooperation with Prof. Schmelz, we will examine the central effects and nerve growth factor and in cooperation with Prof. Eich we will examine treatment-related effects on these core variables.
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