Final Report Summary - PROBING-PAIN (Multimodal functional neuroimaging techniques to probe the representation of pain in the human brain)
In this project, we developed new methods to study non-invasively how pain is represented in the human brain, and how changes in brain function may lead to the development of chronic pain. A first approach consisted in using a novel “frequency tagging” technique to mark brain activity specifically related to the perception of sustained experimental pain in the human electroencephalogram. A second approach consisted in combining electroencephalography or functional magnetic resonance imaging with transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation or transcranial focused ultrasounds to measure directly the changes in brain connectivity and excitability related to the development of chronic pain. A third approach consisted in recording pain-related neural activity directly within the human insula in patients implanted with depth electrodes for the diagnostic work-up of partial intractable epilepsy.
In addition to providing a better understanding of how pain emerges from brain activity, the project has generated a set of new tools that can be used for future research, some of which create important clinical perspectives. For example, PROBING-PAIN contributed to the development of a human biomarker of the central sensitization of the pain system that could be used in future projects to accelerate the development of novel analgesics, or to predict response to treatment.