UMB Research Center for Neuroendocrine Influences on Pain

Mission

The objectives of the RCNIP are to support basic, clinical, and translational research aimed at identifying the biological bases for sex differences and neuroendocrine effects on pain and analgesia. The Center’s work is focused on understanding the roles that these factors play in painful craniofacial and visceral disorders that disproportionately affect women. The Center's research program is diverse, and ranges from molecular studies to systems physiology studies to clinical studies.

Our working model is that pain research has clearly shown that a person's sex is an important factor in determining the perception of, and response to, painful stimulation and pathological pain. Several physiological and psychological mechanisms have been proposed as the basis for these sex differences, yet many hypotheses remain to be adequately tested.

The RCNIP directs its efforts to evaluating physiological models of sex-related pain differences, including the role of gonadal hormones. Additionally, this Center evaluates pathophysiological models of chronic pain conditions that are highly prevalent in women, with a particular focus on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and the visceral pain associated with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Center also facilitates the transfer of basic scientific knowledge to the study of persistent pain in humans, and ultimately to new methods of diagnosing and treating these conditions in the general population.

See also:

• An overview of TMD provided by the NIH
• An overview of IBS provided by the NIH