Project description
Understanding the mechanisms of illusory pain
Pain is part of the body's defence system in response to a painful stimulus. Yet, pain illusions in the absence of risk of tissue damage are common among healthy people. Research on thermosensation and pain largely treats pain illusions as quirks of the thermo-nociceptive system and has underplayed that they contradict the mainstream theories of pain perception. The EU-funded IllusoryPain project aims to advance the understanding of perceptual inference of pain in humans. The study will use behavioural and neuroimaging experiments to identify the neural basis of illusory and veridical pain and uncover general principles of temperature and pain perception. It will redefine the understanding of illusory pain, bringing new insights into the mechanisms of temperature and pain perception in humans.
Objective
What does it mean to experience an illusion of pain? The typical role of pain is to signal when the body is damaged. However, pain illusions in the absence of any risk of tissue damage are common in the normal population. For example, a mix of warm and cold stimuli can be perceived as burning hot, as in the case of the Thermal Grill Illusion. So far, research on thermosensation and pain has largely treated pain illusions as curious quirks of the thermo-nociceptive system, and underplayed the fact that these illusions fundamentally contradict core assumptions of mainstream theories of pain perception. In this project, I propose a new approach to advance our understanding of perceptual inference of pain in humans which challenges these assumptions. Specifically, I will use behavioural and neuroimaging experiments to identify the functional properties, clinical relevance and neural basis of both illusory and veridical pain. First, I will extend innovative behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging protocols to investigate the mechanisms underlying pain illusions. Next, I will investigate the clinical relevance of illusory pain, with the ultimate goal of providing novel tools that can offer a mechanistic approach to pain assessment. Finally, I will validate a comprehensive computational model of pain, which can explain both illusory and veridical thermo-nociceptive phenomena in a unified framework. Overall this project will harness pain illusions to uncover general principles of temperature and pain perception, and will validate novel computational techniques for characterising the neural encoding of thermosensation and pain. These outcomes will redefine our understanding of illusory pain and offer new insights into mechanisms of temperature and pain perception in humans.
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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
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.