Pain Phenotyping in spinal disorders

Progression of neuropathic pain in spinal disorders

The presentation of neuropathic pain is complex, time-dependent and by far not uniform. Differentiation of distinct underlying mechanisms, such as central sensitization, will be essential to improve our understanding and development of novel treatment strategies in neuropathic pain.

In WP1, solid prospective longitudinal studies are performed in order to understand the progression/evolution of sensitization processes. We apply quantitative measures to assess changes in pain processing that occur from the transition from an acute to a chronic stage and alongside fluctuations of clinical manifestation of pain, e.g., pain relapses.

Experimental intervention for neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (in collaboration with WP5)

Evidence regarding the topical analgesic treatments for spinal cord injury- related neuropathic pain is scarce. The application of menthol leads to cooling-induced analgesia in animal models of neuropathic pain. The analgesic potential of menthol has also been explored in a small, non-randomized, non-placebo controlled trial in human neuropathic pain conditions. In this subproject of WP1 we aim to investigate cold-induced analgesia in subjects with segmental neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury.