The Pain and Cognition Neuroimaging Lab: Unraveling the brain’s role in pain

At the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and clinical research, the Pain and Cognition Neuroimaging Lab uses advanced brain imaging and experimental pain testing to study how pain affects cognition and how cognitive processes, in turn, shape experience of pain.

“When we think about pain, we often imagine a particular body part that hurts.”, says Associate Professor Natalia Brumley, Lab Director. “Yet, all pain emerges almost entirely in the brain – the same sensory stimulus can be interpreted by the brain as painful or not, depending on the context.”

Understanding how the brain processes and is affected by pain is key to their research which expands beyond chronic pain conditions to encompass psychiatric and neurological disorders like depression and stroke.

The Lab investigates a wide range of pain-related phenomena, from how placebo and nocebo effects manifest in the brain, to the learning process of sensory words, and the influence of social observation on pain perception. They also explore the impact of modifiable behaviours such as exercise programs for stroke and chronic pain patients, and the role of sleep and sedentary behaviour in stroke, pain, and depression.

A significant portion of their current research, conducted in the John Trinder Sleep Laboratory, investigates how poor sleep can lead to increased pain sensitivity.  While it’s commonly believed that pain negatively affects sleep, recent studies suggest that   disrupted sleep can make people more vulnerable to developing chronic pain. Their latest research indicates that women are more susceptible to the effects of sleep disruption on pain sensitivity, with those sleeping less than six hours per night showing a reduced ability to manage pain. Even small fluctuations in sleep patterns, like waking up earlier on a Monday, can influence daily pain levels.

These findings suggest that improving sleep habits could be an effective strategy for reducing the risk of chronic pain, especially in women. Ultimately, this research could help identify populations at risk for chronic pain due to poor sleep, clarify which aspects of sleep affect pain sensitivity, and develop strategies to mitigate the negative impact of sleep on pain.

Another recent research paper, “What can speech tell us about pain?” was created in collaboration with Redenlab and the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology. It investigates the detection of certain features in speech associated with people being in pain and with their general pain sensitivity in order to work out biomarkers of pain in speech.

They integrate fundamental and clinical research, studying a diverse range of populations including healthy individuals, chronic pain patients, individuals with disordered sleep and mental health. Their research places a special emphasis on identifying at-risk groups and investigating comorbidities such as the relationship between sleep apnea and stroke, pain in depression, post-stroke depression and pain in sleep apnea.

The Lab uses a combination of experimental and observational approaches. In the lab, participants undergo thermal and pressure pain testing to assess brain responses to pain using EEG, MEG and ultra-high-field MRI. Outside the lab, wearable devices monitor sleep, movement and light exposure over time. This helps build a picture of how daily behaviours interact with pain processing.

By combining cognitive neuroscience with clinical insight, the Lab aims to inform new treatments that improve outcomes for people living with pain, sleep difficulties, or mood disorders. Their ultimate goal is to develop practical, evidence-based approaches to reduce pain and improve quality of life.