Pain pioneer heads U.S. research program

Posted on Jul 13, 2012 in Health | 0 comments

An internationally recognized pain and neuroscience researcher is the director of a new U.S. research program focusing on the role of the brain and pain.

Catherine Bushnell, a pioneer in the field of pain research, the Harold Griffith professor of anesthesia and professor in dentistry and neurology at McGill University in Montreal, will be based at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.

She will lead a collaborative effort to complement basic science and clinical research efforts including brain mechanisms of pain processing, psychological modulation of pain and brain changes in chronic pain patients. Her recent research projects utilized brain imaging and psychophysical testing to study the neural basis of pain processing, or the role the brain plays in pain.

In the United States, more than 100 million people suffer from chronic pain conditions, and it is estimated to cost nearly $635 billion annually for treatment and lost productivity, the Institute of Medicine said.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International