Neurobiology of Pain

The NOPAIN team research focus in experimental and human studies concerning acute, inflammatory and chronic pain mechanisms following a plan on animal and human research objectives. These objectives contribute to the basic, translational and clinical portfolio of ICVS research and output. Maladaptation behaviour in chronic pain will be studied at the experimental (neuropathic and osteoarthritic pain) and human (chronic low back pain and postsurgical pain) levels.

The former will elucidate on neurobiological mechanisms contributing to behavioural alterations in pain chronification, whereas the later will result in indications to manage both chronic low back pain and acute post-surgical pain, as well as to prevent the development of chronic post-surgical pain. Research on new drugs to control inflammatory and chronic pain can lead to future translational studies and contribute to the development of new molecular therapies to treat pain.

Team Members

Success Story

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Projects

Hugo Leite-Almeida

Comorbidity of cHronic Pain and mood disorders: breaking the vicious cYcle (HaPpY) – ESR 3 Predictive factors for pain evolution as well as susceptibility and resilience in chronic pain and mood disorders comorbidity

This project has as general aim to identify behavioural, functional (local field potentials) and molecular (e.g. inflammatory markers) predictive…

Hugo Leite-Almeida

Comorbidity of cHronic Pain and mood disorders: breaking the vicious cYcle (HaPpY) – ESR 4 Chronic pain and comorbid disabilities: improving outcome measures in preclinical models

This project has as general aim the study of behaviour under ethological conditions in animals with neuropathic pain

Hugo Leite-Almeida

Endophenotypical Determinants of Post-Surgical Chronic Pain Trajectories

This project has as general aim to definine patients who are at risk to develop chronic pain based on molecular and neurophysiological information

Hugo Leite-Almeida

Frontostriatal neurophysiological underpins of decision-making

This project has as general aim to study the activity of a frontostriatal network during decision-making

Filipa Pinto-Ribeiro

Key targets for managing the maladaptative response to chronic inflammatory pain

Functional studies showed a critical role of descending facilitation in the establishment of pain chronicity. While the electrophysiological properties of brainstem areas have been extensively studied…

Ana Cristina Paredes

Pain chronification after total joint arthroplasty

Pain chronification after total joint arthroplasty Arthroplasties are surgical procedures aiming to control pain and recover functionality in osteoarthritis patients. However, they are associated with severe…

Patrícia Ribeiro Pinto

Pain sensitivity and psychological profile of chronic low back pain patients

Pain sensitivity and psychological profile of chronic low back pain patients Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a very prevalent condition, associated with high disability and…

Armando Almeida

Pharmacological evaluation of the effect of drugs and their derivatives in the control of pain and comorbid emotional impairments in experimental neuropathy

a series of projects where drugs and their derivatives recently developed or used mainly for other pathologies were tested for their potential antidepressant and anxyolitic characteristics.