Objective
Chronic pain is one of the largest medical health problems in Europe, affecting about 20% of all adults. To combat chronic pain, we need an improved understanding of the mechanisms underpinning pain. We know that pain is not an invariant mapping from the physical intensity of sensory stimulation to perception, but is subject to various modulating factors that reduce or enhance pain perception. Endogenous pain modulation involves systems that originate in cortical areas, which communicate – via subcortical and brainstem structures – with the spinal cord, where nociceptive processing is controlled. Previous research has focused on anti-nociceptive mechanisms, but it is becoming increasingly clear that pro-nociceptive mechanisms also play an important role in chronic pain.
This proposal will therefore be investigating the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie both directions of pain modulation, by using the models of placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies. A first objective is to investigate bidirectional brainstem control of spinal cord responses with dedicated fMRI tools. The second objective – which involves ultra high-field fMRI – is to characterize the subcortical-brainstem networks in detail that intervene between cortical and spinal processing. Finally, a third objective is to determine cortical pain control mechanisms by using MEG in combination with analysis of evoked and induced responses. All three objectives will put a strong emphasis on connectivity analyses.
The proposal will provide important insights into pro- and anti-nociceptive pain-modulatory processes at an unprecedented level of detail. Such an endeavor is clinically important, as malfunction of pain control systems is a key underlying factor in the generation and maintenance of chronic pain, which is an enormous burden not only for the affected individual, but also for health-care systems worldwide.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- engineering and technology medical engineering diagnostic imaging magnetic resonance imaging
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.