Clinical Updates and New Perspectives of Chronic Pain

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic pain is a widespread and debilitating condition that is modulated by circadian rhythms, the body’s internal biological clock. This Special Issue, “Clinical Updates and New Perspectives of Chronic Pain,” examines the bidirectional interplay between circadian dysregulation and chronic pain syndromes, including neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and migraine. Diurnal variations in pain intensity, driven by clock genes (e.g., Per1, Bmal1) and neuroinflammatory pathways, are pronounced in these conditions, with migraine exhibiting distinct circadian patterns of onset and severity. Notably, cancer survivors, females, and Black individuals—groups with shorter circadian periods—may experience heightened pain vulnerability due to genetic, hormonal, or socioeconomic factors. Such disruptions could exacerbate migraine frequency and chronicity, among other pain states. This Special Issue aims to present cutting-edge clinical and preclinical research, emphasizing chronotherapeutic approaches—aligning treatments with circadian cycles—and their efficacy in pain management. Molecular insights, including melatonin signaling and opioid receptor dynamics, will be explored, as will innovations such as wearable circadian–pain monitoring devices and personalized medicine. By addressing these mechanisms across diverse populations, this Special Issue bridges chronobiology, neurology, and pharmacology to advance diagnostic precision and therapeutic strategies for chronic pain, including migraine.

Dr. Yohannes Woldeamanuel
Guest Editor

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