Emerging Trends and Perspectives in the Neuroscience of Pain
A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Motor Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 1110
Special Issue Editors
Interests: chronic pain management; acute pain management; regional anaesthesia; anaesthesia
Interests: neurology; peripheral neuropathy; clinical neurophysiology; pain; medical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pain neuroscience is undergoing rapid transformation across multiple fronts—from novel neuroimaging advancements to innovative neuromodulation therapies. Cutting-edge functional MRI and electrophysiological techniques are enhancing early-detection capabilities, shedding light on both acute and chronic nociceptive pathways. These neuroimaging tools illuminate the neural circuits implicated in pain perception and modulation, enabling personalised insights into individual differences, placebo analgesia, and cognitive–emotional pain regulation.
Parallel progress in neuromodulation—such as transcranial and spinal stimulation—offers promising therapeutic alternatives to opioid and other invasive interventions. Both non‑invasive (e.g., tDCS, peripheral nerve stimulation, and pulsed radiofrequency) and invasive techniques demonstrate effective pain relief with reduced adverse effects. However, research continues to refine stimulation parameters, waveform engineering, and mechanistic understanding to optimise treatment efficacy across diverse populations.
This Special Issue welcomes original research, comprehensive reviews, and concise communications that address three core themes:
- Neuroimaging and neurophysiology breakthroughs—including fMRI, PET, and EEG—that map anatomical and functional substrates of pain;
- Neuromodulation advances—including studies of spinal, peripheral, and transcranial stimulation techniques and pulsed radiofrequency—aiming to modulate aberrant pain signalling;
- Foundational mechanisms—exploring synaptic plasticity, neural circuitry, and psychological and genetic contributors to persistent pain.
Together, these perspectives aim to deliver a richer mechanistic understanding and accelerate the development of safer, precise, mechanism-based diagnostics and treatments for chronic pain conditions.
Dr. Martina Rekatsina
Dr. Panagiotis Zis
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- neuroscience of pain
- neuroimaging techniques
- neuromodulation therapies
- pain mechanisms
- chronic pain
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