This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online.
Pain is an inevitable part of existence, but severe debilitating or chronic pain is a pathological condition that diminishes the quality of life. The Brain and Pain explores the present and future of pain management, providing a comprehensive understanding based on the latest discoveries from many branches of neuroscience. Richard Ambron—the former director of a neuroscience lab that conducted leading research in this field—explains the science of how and why we feel pain. He describes how the nervous system and brain process information that leads to the experience of pain, detailing the cellular and molecular functions that are responsible for the initial perceptions of an injury. He discusses how pharmacological agents such as opiates affect the duration and intensity of pain. Ambron examines new evidence showing that discrete circuits in the brain modulate the experience of pain in response to a placebo, fear, anxiety, belief, or other circumstances, as well as how pain can be relieved by activating these circuits using mindfulness training and other nonpharmacological treatments. The book also evaluates the prospects of procedures such as deep brain stimulation and optogenetics. Current and thorough, The Brain and Pain will be invaluable for a range of people seeking to understand their options for treatment as well as students in neuroscience and medicine.
Neuroscience of Pain, Stress, and Emotion: Psychological and Clinical Implications presents updated research on stress, pain, and emotion, all key research areas within both basic and clinical neuroscience. Improved research understanding of their interaction is ultimately necessary if clinicians and those working in the field of psychosomatic medicine are to alleviate patient suffering. This volume offers broad coverage of that interaction, with chapters written by major researchers in the field. After reviewing the neuroscience of pain and stress, the contents go on to address the interaction between stress and chronic/acute pain, the role of different emotions in pain, neurobiological mechanisms mediating these various interactions, individual differences in both stress and pain, the role of patient expectations during treatment (placebo and nocebo responses), and how those relate to stress modulation. While there are books on the market which discuss pain, stress, and emotion separately, this volume is the first to tackle their nexus, thus appealing to both researchers and clinicians. - Represents the only comprehensive reference detailing the link between pain, stress and emotion, covering the neuroscientific underpinnings, related psychological processes, and clinical implications - Compiles, in one place, research which promises to improve the methodology of clinical trials and the use of knowledge of pain-stress-emotion effects in order to reduce patients' suffering - Provides comprehensive chapters authored by global leaders in the field, the broadest, most expert coverage available
The last decade has seen major advances in the neurobiology of pain, primarily resulting from a deeper understanding of the way in which pain signals are coded and processed in the nervous system. This volume in the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology is the first book for many years to present an integrated overview of the current state of research into the neurobiology of chronic and acute pain. While recent molecular aspects of nociception are covered in some detail, the book also emphasises the importance of viewing the pain experience as the co-ordinated response of many different areas of the nervous system. The molecular advances are set in the context of the neurobiological system of pain processing. The appropriate behavioural response to injury can therefore be thought of as the result of the integration of information processed within areas of the brain concerned with cognition, affect, sensory discrimination and movement. Chapters cover recent advances in nociceptor transduction mechanisms, nociceptor plasticity and the biochemical anatomy of pain pathways. Other contributions are concerned with the development of pain systems and with the central processing of nociceptive information studied with brain imaging techniques. Several chapters additionally cover the mechanisms of clinically important pain states such as neuropathic pain, cancer related pain and migraine. A new volume in the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology series, this volume presents a state-of-the-art account of the neurobiological basis of pain, edited and written by the leading scientists in this field.
Introduction to Pain and its relation to Nervous System Disorders provides an accessible overview of the latest developments in the science underpinning pain research, including, but not limited to, the physiological, pathological and psychological aspects. This unique book fills a gap in current literature by focussing on the intricate relationship between pain and human nervous system disorders such as Autism, Alzheimer Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Depression and Multiple Sclerosis. This fully illustrated, colour handbook will help non-experts, including advanced undergraduate and new postgraduate students, become familiar with the current, wide-ranging areas of research that cover every aspect of the field from chronic and inflammatory pain to neuropathic pain and biopsychosocial models of pain, functional imaging and genetics. Contributions from leading experts in neuroscience and psychiatry provide both factual information and critical points of view on their approach and the theoretical framework behind their choices. An appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of brain imaging technology applied to pain research in humans provides the tools required to understand current cutting edge literature on the topic. Chapters covering placebo effects in analgesia and the psychology of pain give a thorough overview of cognitive, psychological and social influences on pain perception. Sections exploring pain in the lifecycle and in relation to nervous system disorders take particular relevance from a clinical point of view. Furthermore, an intellectually stimulating chapter analysing the co-morbidity of pain and depression provides a philosophical angle rarely presented in related handbooks. The references to external research databases and relevant websites aim to prompt readers to become critical and independent thinkers, and motivate them to carry out further reading on these topics. Introduction to Pain and its relation to Nervous System Disorders is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in neuroscience, medical and biomedical sciences, as well as for clinical and medical healthcare professionals involved in pain management.
The Neurobiology, Physiology and Psychology of Pain focuses on bettering readers' understanding of acute and chronic pain. Featuring chapters on neurotransmitters, pharmacology, and brain imaging, this volume discusses, in detail, the mechanisms of pain and experimental studies undertaken to better understand the pathways involved. The translational work in this area has applicability for neurologists, anesthesiologists, pharmacologists, and anyone working in the intersection of these areas. This volume is integral for anyone interested in the molecular underpinnings of pain at every level. - Provides comprehensive coverage on a broad range of topics related to the neuroscience of pain - Contains an abstract, key facts, a mini dictionary of terms, and summary points to aid in understanding in each chapter - Features chapters on molecular pathways, imaging and a deep look at behavior associated with the experience of pain - Contains unique topics that will help readers navigate key areas for research and further clinical recommendations
The Neuroscience of Pain, Anesthetics and Analgesics examines the syndromes of pain and how they interlink with anesthesia and analgesics. The book covers assessments, screening and resources, and provides applications to related areas of medicine. It explores how the perception of pain results from a multifaceted interaction between illness beliefs, age, gender, time of onset, stress, socioeconomic status, and other factors. In addition, it scrutinizes how the neuroscience of pain in one condition may be relevant to understanding pain observed in other conditions. Sections address the onset of pain, the cause of pain, and the administration of analgesia or anesthesia. The book works to clarify all of the subjects pertinent to anesthesia and the brain. Featuring chapters on neurotransmitters, pharmacology and brain imaging, this volume discusses the mechanisms of pain and experimental studies undertaken to better understand the pathways involved. - Includes content on the features and assessments of pain, anesthesia and analgesia - Provides a mini-dictionary of terms and summary points that succinctly encapsulate each chapter - Covers a broad range of topics related to the neuroscience of analgesics and anesthetics - Helps readers navigate key areas for research and further clinical recommendations - Features chapters on molecular pathways, imaging and a deep look at behavior associated with the experience of pain
Conceptual models of how pain is created influence medical practice, neuroscientific research, and philosophical ideas about pain and other neurological functions. Given the broad scope of pain experiences, realistic models of pain neurobiology must consider the correlation between pain and tissue damage and how it is strongly affected by neurological disease, emotionally compelling circumstances, and by complex cognitive processes. Recent discoveries have made it clear that both sensory and affective systems are strongly modulated by activity in other sensory pathways and by affective and cognitive processes originating in the brain. As a result, pain should then be conceived as emerging from the conjoint activity of both sensory and affective neural systems, each becoming a target for pain treatment. Historically, pain has been conceived as emerging either from an undefined pattern of neural activity or from anatomically and physiologically unique structures in the nervous system. Observations made during the early and mid- 20th century showed that pain and pain-like behaviors normally require not only sensory detectors of noxious events (called nociceptors) but also brain affective (hedonic) mechanisms that generate emotional experience and expression. In Chasing Pain, pain specialists and neuroscientists will find a thoughtful discussion of the neuroscientific and clinical evidence that has led to contemporary concepts of pain neurobiology and how pain might emerge from neuronal activity. Written in a concise and annotated format, Doctor Kenneth Casey reveals that while contemporary research has greatly enriched our model of pain neurobiology, several important and therapeutically challenging clinical conditions remain poorly understood.
With recent studies using genetic, epigenetic, and other molecular and neurochemical approaches, a new era has begun in understanding pathophysiology of suicide. Emerging evidence suggests that neurobiological factors are not only critical in providing potential risk factors but also provide a promising approach to develop more effective treatment and prevention strategies. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide discusses the most recent findings in suicide neurobiology. Psychological, psychosocial, and cultural factors are important in determining the risk factors for suicide; however, they offer weak prediction and can be of little clinical use. Interestingly, cognitive characteristics are different among depressed suicidal and depressed nonsuicidal subjects, and could be involved in the development of suicidal behavior. The characterization of the neurobiological basis of suicide is in delineating the risk factors associated with suicide. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide focuses on how and why these neurobiological factors are crucial in the pathogenic mechanisms of suicidal behavior and how these findings can be transformed into potential therapeutic applications.
