Nervous system role in recovering from painful rotator cuff tears
Official title: Nervous system influences on recovery from painful rotator cuff tears
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11345977 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how brain and nervous system factors influence recovery and pain after rotator cuff tears to help tailor treatments for people suffering from this condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | May 10, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $531,231 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR080058-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345977 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with a diagnosed rotator cuff tear experiencing pain and seeking care.
✕Less likely to help
People without a rotator cuff tear or those not experiencing significant pain may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you have a rotator cuff tear, this project aims to understand how brain activity and pain processing relate to how well you recover. Researchers will use brain imaging and movement tasks to see how pain experiences connect with recovery over time. They will examine different pain patterns and how long the injury has been present to predict who might benefit most from targeted pain therapies. The goal is to identify brain and nervous-system factors that could guide personalized treatment choices for better outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to more personalized pain management and rehabilitation plans for people with rotator cuff tears.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown associations between brain activity and pain experiences, supporting potential for brain-based insights in pain management.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pozzi, Federico — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Pozzi, Federico
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Meltblown scaffolds to help irreparable rotator cuff tears
A new 3-D biomaterial scaffold made from meltblown technology aims to improve interposition grafts for people with irreparable rotator cuff tears.
-
Predicting How Exercise Helpful Rotator Cuff Tears Will Turn Out
Aimed at people with rotator cuff tears, the grant investigates how a personalized exercise program might lead to better shoulder function and fewer surgeries.
-
Turning harmful shoulder fat into healing beige fat with targeted nanomedicine
This project uses tiny medicine-filled nanoparticles to turn the harmful fat that builds up in torn shoulder muscles into healing, energy-burning fat to help people recover after rotator cuff tears.
-
Biomusculoskeletal drivers of shoulder pain in rotator cuff tears
A research project will explore why some people with a torn rotator cuff have pain and others don’t by looking at nerves, brain signals, and shoulder muscle control.
-
Genetic links to rotator cuff tears and muscle fatty change
This project looks for genetic differences that raise the risk of rotator cuff tears, lead to fatty changes in shoulder muscles, and influence outcomes after surgery or physical therapy for people with atraumatic rotator cuff tears.
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Who will benefit from shoulder exercise therapy for rotator cuff tears
This project aims to find which people with rotator cuff tears do well with personalized exercise-based shoulder therapy.
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.