Special Issue "The Biology of Chronic Pain: Applications in Clinical Practice"

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2023 | Viewed by 3268

Special Issue Editors

1. Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
2. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
3. Flanders Research Foundation (FWO), Brussels, Belgium
Interests: chronic pain; epigenetics; DNA methylation; exercise
1. Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
2. Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
3. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: chronic pain; central sensitization; sleep
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, leading to suffering, disability and enormous social costs. Science has tremendously advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic pain. Breakthrough findings include functional and structural brain changes, neuro-inflammation, sensory changes, immune alterations, psychological problems, neurocognitive disorders, stress intolerance, sleep impairments, and (epi)genetic changes found in patients with chronic pain.

This Journal of Clinical Medicine Boutique Special Issue focuses on the exciting, broad field of the biology of chronic pain in humans. The Special Issue will include invited state-of-the-art papers, each addressing a key biological process of relevance to patients with chronic pain. These state-of-the-art papers are written by leading experts and key opinion leaders in the field, and will boost the impact and exposure of all papers to be included in the Special Issue. This Special Issue offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the breakthrough area of chronic pain, in sectors including, but not limited to: neuroimaging, neurophysiology, genetics, epigenetics, nutritional biology, stress physiology, sleep physiology, psychoneuroimmunology, immunology, and exercise physiology, among others.

We welcome submissions from anywhere in the world, as long as the focus of the paper is on the biology of chronic pain in humans. In line with the journal’s scope, preclinical studies cannot be considered. Manuscript formats can vary from literature reviews (systematic literature reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, or perspective articles) to original research (trials, cohort studies, experimental lab work, case–control studies) and consensus statements, as long as they are of high quality and focused on the biology of chronic pain in humans. Case reports and study protocols cannot be included. Authors publishing in this Special Issue will contribute to an exciting area of tremendous advancements!

Dr. Polli Andrea
Prof. Dr. Jo Nijs
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuroimaging
  • neurophysiology
  • genetics
  • epigenetics
  • stress physiology
  • sleep physiology
  • psychoneuroimmunology
  • immunology
  • chronic pain
  • stress
  • sleep
  • insomnia
  • exercise physiology
  • nutrition
  • pediatric pain
  • cancer pain
  • musculoskeletal pain
  • postsurgical pain
  • rheumatic pain
  • osteoarthritis
  • rheumatoid arthritis

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

Review
The Biology of Stress Intolerance in Patients with Chronic Pain—State of the Art and Future Directions
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(6), 2245; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12062245 - 14 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1121
Abstract
Stress has been consistently linked to negative impacts on physical and mental health. More specifically, patients with chronic pain experience stress intolerance, which is an exacerbation or occurrence of symptoms in response to any type of stress. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon [...] Read more.
Stress has been consistently linked to negative impacts on physical and mental health. More specifically, patients with chronic pain experience stress intolerance, which is an exacerbation or occurrence of symptoms in response to any type of stress. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unsolved. In this state-of-the-art paper, we summarised the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major stress response systems in stress intolerance. We provided insights into such mechanisms based on evidence from clinical studies in both patients with chronic pain, showing dysregulated stress systems, and healthy controls supported by preclinical studies, highlighting the link between these systems and symptoms of stress intolerance. Furthermore, we explored the possible regulating role for (epi)genetic mechanisms influencing the ANS and HPA axis. The link between stress and chronic pain has become an important area of research as it has the potential to inform the development of interventions to improve the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As stress has become a prevalent concern in modern society, understanding the connection between stress, HPA axis, ANS, and chronic health conditions such as chronic pain is crucial to improve public health and well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biology of Chronic Pain: Applications in Clinical Practice)
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Review
The Putative Role of Neuroinflammation in the Interaction between Traumatic Brain Injuries, Sleep, Pain and Other Neuropsychiatric Outcomes: A State-of-the-Art Review
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(5), 1793; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12051793 - 23 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1146
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are widely prevalent following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have the potential to contribute to numerous post-traumatic physiological, psychological, and cognitive difficulties developing chronically, including chronic pain. An important pathophysiological mechanism involved in the recovery of TBI is neuroinflammation, which [...] Read more.
Sleep disturbances are widely prevalent following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have the potential to contribute to numerous post-traumatic physiological, psychological, and cognitive difficulties developing chronically, including chronic pain. An important pathophysiological mechanism involved in the recovery of TBI is neuroinflammation, which leads to many downstream consequences. While neuroinflammation is a process that can be both beneficial and detrimental to individuals’ recovery after sustaining a TBI, recent evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may worsen outcomes in traumatically injured patients, as well as exacerbate the deleterious consequences of sleep disturbances. Additionally, a bidirectional relationship between neuroinflammation and sleep has been described, where neuroinflammation plays a role in sleep regulation and, in turn, poor sleep promotes neuroinflammation. Given the complexity of this interplay, this review aims to clarify the role of neuroinflammation in the relationship between sleep and TBI, with an emphasis on long-term outcomes such as pain, mood disorders, cognitive dysfunctions, and elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In addition, some management strategies and novel treatment targeting sleep and neuroinflammation will be discussed in order to establish an effective approach to mitigate long-term outcomes after TBI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biology of Chronic Pain: Applications in Clinical Practice)
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