How three brain regions work together to shape pain
Cortical Information Integration as a Model for Pain Perception and Behavior
This project looks at whether interactions among specific brain areas explain how people feel and behave in response to pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11131003 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I take part, researchers will focus on three brain areas—the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the prefrontal cortex (PFC)—to understand how they combine sensory input, emotion, and prior experience to produce pain. They will use brain recordings and precise measurements of pain responses alongside computational models based on predictive coding. The team will also develop new devices and closed-loop brain-computer interfaces aimed at selectively changing pain-related brain activity. Some experiments may be done in lab models to test mechanisms before moving to human brain-imaging or monitoring steps.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with ongoing acute or chronic pain who are willing to participate in brain-imaging or neuromodulation research would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People whose pain is purely peripheral and not linked to central brain processing, or those unable or unwilling to undergo brain monitoring or device procedures, may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better, brain-targeted ways to measure and reduce pain for people who do not get relief from current treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows brain networks relate to pain and that some neuromodulation approaches can help, but the proposed closed-loop brain-computer interface approach is relatively new and still being tested.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jing — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jing
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.