New Atlas

Biology Audio available

Genetic mutation allows Scottish woman to resist pain and heal faster

Michael Irving March 28, 2019

A woman in Scotland has been found to have a previously-unknown genetic mutation that makes her almost completely immune to pain. Her wounds heal faster and she seems to have less anxiety and fear. Geneticists are now studying the genes responsible to uncover new potential treatments for pain relief

A new genetic study has identified gene mutations that appear to allow a Scottish woman to ...

Science Audio available

Brain imaging reveals how sleep deprivation makes pain feel worse

Rich Haridy January 28, 2019

A new study has homed in on the relationship between sleep and pain using brain imaging to identify the differences in neural activity while processing pain. The results revealed sleep deprivation seems to block the parts of the brain that release natural analgesics in relation to pain sensitivity.

Sleep deprivation seems to block the parts of the brain that release natural analgesics in relation ...

Medical Audio available

Stanford study separates emotional and physical sensations of pain

Rich Haridy January 17, 2019

A new study isolated a bundle of neurons that are responsible for the negative emotional experience associated with pain. This insight into how pain is processed could lead to non-opioid treatments for chronic pain that eliminate the unpleasant feeling accompanying pain.

A new study has separated the emotional experience of pain from the physical sensation

Medical

EEG measurements offer objective method of assessing pain

Rich Haridy November 6, 2018

A team of researchers has developed a new method that is claimed to objectively measure pain levels. The system uses electroencephalography (EEG) to identify oscillations in certain brainwaves that have been found to clearly correlate with commonly used pain assessment tools.

Oscillations in theta brainwaves may offer an objective pain measurement tool

Medical

Sugar pill placebos as effective as powerful pain relieving drugs – for some

Darren Quick September 12, 2018

Researchers at Northwestern University have shown that sugar pill placebos are as effective as any drug on the market for relieving chronic pain in people with a certain brain anatomy and psychological characteristics.

A new study has shown sugar pills can be effective pain relief – for those with ...

Medical

New non-addictive compound could treat pain and opioid abuse

Darren Quick August 31, 2018

Researchers appear to have found a promising alternative to opioid pain killers in the form of a chemical compound called AT-121. With promising results seen in non-human primates, hopes are high the compound will work just as well in people.

A compound known as AT-121 has shown promise as a non-addictive form of pain relief and ...

Medical

Experimental drug fuels hopes for new class of non-opioid pain relief

Michael Irving July 8, 2018

An experimental, non-opioid drug known as EMA401 is showing promise, and now researchers at Washington University in St Louis have found that it works by targeting a different part of the body, outside of the nervous system.

A new experimental drug has been found to act on an unexpected part of the body, ...

Medical

Controversial Australian study finds no evidence that cannabis helps chronic pain

Rich Haridy July 3, 2018

The results of one of the longest in-depth studies examining cannabis use and chronic pain is raising doubts over whether cannabis reduces pain severity or opioid use. The study is proving controversial as its findings contradict a growing body of research suggesting exactly the opposite.

A new Australian study is casting doubt over the efficacy of cannabis as a tool to ...

Medical

Revolutionary new blood test can instantly identify chronic pain

Rich Haridy May 6, 2018

A blood test that can identify chronic pain has been developed by a team of Australian researchers. The test can identify color changes in immune cells affected by chronic pain and give doctors a new way to diagnose the severity of pain in patients unable to adequately communicate it.

A new blood test that can identify chronic pain could revolutionize diagnoses for humans and animals

Science

Study reveals how hunger can override our feelings of chronic pain

Rich Haridy March 22, 2018

New research from neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found that chronic pain can be suppressed by feelings of hunger. This unique evolutionary quirk, controlled by a very small population of brain cells, could offer researchers novel new targets for pain treatments.

Discovering how the brain suppresses chronic pain when hungry could lead researchers to new and novel ...