Brain and behavior signs that predict widespread pain in early adolescence and how pain changes differently for boys and girls during puberty
Behavioral and neurobiological predictors of widespread pain in early adolescence and sex-specific trajectories of pain during puberty
This project looks at brain and behavior patterns that predict widespread pain in children and teens and how pain changes differently for boys and girls during puberty.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266172 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be followed over time through puberty with questionnaires about pain, sleep, mood, and daily symptoms plus behavioral tests and brain imaging to look for early signs linked to widespread pain. The study uses data from the large, ongoing ABCD cohort to track youth from late childhood into adolescence and beyond. Researchers will compare males and females to map sex-specific pain trajectories and relate those to brain function and connectivity. The combined behavioral and neuroimaging approach is meant to reveal whether brain changes precede or follow the development of widespread pain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are children and adolescents (roughly late childhood through the teen years) who are enrolled in the ABCD study or similar longitudinal cohorts, especially those with emerging or recurrent pain symptoms.
Not a fit: People whose pain is clearly caused by an ongoing, identifiable injury or inflammatory disease, or adults well beyond the adolescent age range, may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to early warning signs and pave the way for prevention or targeted treatments that reduce long-term chronic pain in young people.
How similar studies have performed: Prior adult studies (for example in fibromyalgia) have shown brain-processing differences linked to widespread pain, but applying these longitudinal brain and behavioral measures to large adolescent cohorts is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaplan, Chelsea — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Kaplan, Chelsea
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.