Investigating pain and touch brain networks in a pain free patient
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of nociceptive and touch sensation and brain networks in a unique pain-free patient with raised endocannabinoids.
IRAS ID
288710
Contact name
Devjit Srivastava
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Highland
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
How the brain generates feeling of touch and pain in response to stimulation of the skin and how these sensory systems interact are poorly understood. The study of rare patients who do not feel pain due to well-defined genetic mutations offer a window to study how pain is generated. This could have enormous implications for the future treatment of those with chronic pain and also pain after surgery. A unique individual who does not feel pain because of a mutation that causes elevation in the body's own cannabinoid levels has been identified in Scotland. How the increased cannabinoids cause the lack of pain sensation is unclear but may relate to how the brain processes of the pain inputs it receives from the periphery. To further understand how this mutation and the resultant increased cannabinoids cause insensitivity to painful stimuli we are proposing to systematically study pain and touch processing in the person who carries the genetic mutation. Studies will take place at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the MR imaging centre at the University of Nottingham. At LJMU the pain-free participant will undergo careful testing of pain and touch sensation using controlled thermal and mechanical stimulation to the skin surface. At the same time automatic responses (sweating, facial muscle activity and heart rate) to these stimuli will be monitored. Testing will take place in two sessions over one day. In Nottingham the carrier will undergo high resolution MRI scans of brain structure and connectivity. Brain function in response to painful heat as well as innocuous warm and touch stimuli will be measured. Testing will take place in three sessions over two days. All tests are non-invasive and have no side-effects. The findings will be compared to results in healthy volunteers.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0042
Date of REC Opinion
9 Mar 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion