Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC)

Pain - Research

Overview Clinics Research Staff Patient Information A - Z Glossary Map & Directions Health Professionals Media Room

UHN’s Pain program conducts research to better understand pain mechanisms and their impact on physical and emotional well-being. This research is closely connected to patient care, so patients can benefit from the latest findings about understanding and treating pain. In addition, our team helps educate other medical and allied health professionals at all levels, sharing research findings, resources and knowledge.

Milestones and Innovation

Identified the individual brain cells that control pain.
(Dr. Karen Davis and Dr. Andre Lozano, 1999)

Research

Through the Krembil Neuroscience Centre and Toronto Western Research Institute, our pain researchers have published unique research tools that advance the understanding of the mechanisms and management of neuropathic pain. These include the pioneering use of barbiturates for discrimination of central versus peripheral contributions in neuropathic pain and the establishment of algometric pain pressure thresholds as a quantitative instrument for deep pain. Research into the physiological and psychological effects of non specific treatment effects and on the psychophysiological basis of hysteria are further research interests. Areas of ongoing research activity include:

Human Neuropathic Pain: syndromes (epidemiology and demographics, genetic predisposition, causation), effects of drugs, personality profiles, quantitative measurements, functional imaging, genetic research
Chronic Pain Syndromes: intractable pain beyond healing time of injury and in the absence of obvious ongoing nociception (mechanisms, psychobiological model, functional imaging)
Painful clinical syndromes: epidemiology, mechanisms, treatment response
Placebo/nocebo effects: mechanisms, pathophysiology, personality profile
Chronic pain and health care utilization/costs: demographics, epidemiology
Educational research: development of guidelines, learning instruments in chronic pain
Evidence-based medicine, literature reviews/meta-analysis: member of the Cochrane collaboration (UK).

Useful Links

For more information on Pain research at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, visit the Toronto Western Research Institute.

[back to top]
[back to Pain home]