pain

August 24, 2023

Predicting postop opioid use

VUMC study finds that preoperative patient characteristics can predict daily opioid use at six months after surgery, suggesting opportunities for development of electronic risk-stratification algorithms.

By Paul Govern
April 20, 2023

Genetics and chronic pain

Polygenic risk scores — scores that reflect the influence of common genetic variants — could be used to predict the likelihood of developing chronic overlapping pain conditions and guide biomarker and targeted prevention efforts.

By Bill Snyder
August 5, 2020

Study finds aerobic exercise spurs endorphins, relieves low back pain

Six weeks of aerobic exercise can lead to sustained increases in endogenous opioid function and significant relief for chronic low back pain, according to a randomized controlled trial by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Stephen Bruehl, PhD, and colleagues, reported in Pain.

By Paul Govern
March 10, 2020

Loss of ‘Jedi’ alters neuron activity

This is not the Jedi you’re thinking of. This Jedi is a receptor that helps clear away dead neurons during development, and its loss changes the activity of dorsal root ganglia neurons, which could have implications for treating chronic pain.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 28, 2019

Personalized pain management

Understanding how natural brain chemicals with pain-relieving properties interact with administered opioids may guide personalized approaches for pain management.

By Niyati Vachharajani
October 16, 2017

Gender, pain and dementia

Understanding sex differences in pain perception could lead to more targeted and effective pain assessment and management strategies in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease.

By Bill Snyder
September 5, 2017

Pain and Alzheimer’s disease

Clinicians should use a structured interview in people with Alzheimer’s disease to identify pain that might be otherwise overlooked.
By VUMC News and Communications
May 13, 2016

New pain medicine from a fungus?

Collybolide – a natural product isolated from a mushroom – is a promising candidate for the development of non-addictive pain medicines.
By Sanjay Mishra
October 2, 2015

The yin and yang of COX-2

New findings add to the understanding of how the enzyme COX-2 works, which is critical to the development of COX-2-targeted anti-inflammatory drugs.
By Sanjay Mishra
August 25, 2015

How the cell makes morphine

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered how mammals, including humans, produce the painkiller morphine.
By Sanjay Mishra
June 25, 2015

New apps increase efficiency and safety for anesthesiologists

Vanderbilt’s Department of Anesthesiology and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) have teamed to provide anesthesiologists with new applications to improve workflow and safety practices.
By VUMC News and Communications
January 10, 2014

A pain in the … genes

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that variation in the gene encoding the potassium channel GIRK1 plays a role in modulating human pain perception.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 2, 2012

Toxin provides endometriosis clues

Environmental toxins may contribute to endometriosis-related infertility by disrupting endometrial response to progesterone.
By VUMC News and Communications