Modulation of brain circuits underlying bidirectional interactions between pain and depression (B09)

• Subject Area: Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology ; Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: since 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 255156212

This project aims to validate the relevance of top-down frontal-limbic and brainstem control mechanisms for modulation of the shared risk architecture for chronic pain and depression. Patients with with a broad range of mild to severe pain and mild to severe depression will undergo a high-intensity pain neuroscience education and emotion regulation intervention augmented by an Ecological Momentary Intervention for mental health promotion in daily life. Methods include clinical/psychological assessments, neurophysiological pain tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Dimensional analysis of interrelations between indicators of top-down controls, pain relief, and mental health is expected to provide a mechanistic basis for multimodal management approaches.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1158: From nociception to chronic pain: Structure-function properties of neural pathways and their reorganisation
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Privatdozent Dr. Walter Magerl, until 6/2019; Professor Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg; Professor Dr. Rolf-Detlef Treede, since 7/2019