Final Newsletter 2024 (5) - Flipbook - Page 5
Dr Charlotte Krahé
Perceived social threat in chronic pain
In addition to physical distress, such as pain and fatigue, chronic pain is linked with experiencing
social distress. Chronic pain patients often report feeling socially isolated and disconnected
from others. We currently do not fully understand the processes that cause this heightened
social distress, we want to test whether being sensitive to social threat plays a key role. Social
threat includes worrying about threats to our body (e.g., someone harming us or worsening our
pain directly) or threats to how socially connected and safe we feel around others. People with
chronic pain are generally more aware of threats around them, but we do not know if this also
applies to social threats.
In Study 1, we will investigate social threat related to physical safety. We focus on personal
space, specifically the point at which footsteps approaching are felt as uncomfortably close.
In Study 2, we investigate threats to social connectedness. We will briefly make people feel
socially excluded through using a virtual ball tossing game. We will study whether this brief
exclusion leads to greater social threat in chronic-pain than pain-free participants, and whether
it worsens in-the-moment pain.
Together, the two studies can help us understand processes involved in social distress in
chronic pain and allow us to develop ways to help people with chronic pain feel safer in their
social interactions. Ultimately, the findings may help create safer, more supportive
environments for people with chronic pain.
Dr Maria Maiarú
Novel botulinum-based construct for the treatment of chronic pain
Pain is a protective mechanism necessary for survival that inform us of tissue damage that will
require time to heal. While normally of biological benefit, pain can sometimes persist after
healing or because of on-going disease and become chronic, a condition that is particularly
difficult to manage with currently available treatments. In the UK alone, chronic pain affects 15
million people and remains a major clinical challenge.
Botulinum neurotoxin/A (BoNT/A) injections are widely used in clinical practise to manage
chronic pain states such as migraine and peripheral neuropathic pain. However, the degree of
pain achieved is often modest and the use of BoNT/A is associated with high risk of muscle
paralysis. We have therefore developed a non-paralytic version of the construct (el-iBoNT) to
achieve pain relief without toxic effect. Nevertheless, the mechanism through which this pain
relief is attained remains unclear.
Our aim is to use model and laboratory techniques to provide a better understanding of the
molecular mechanism responsible for the analgesic effect of el-iBoNT and therefore to further
promote el-iBoNT as a novel approach for pain relief.
