How does our brain influence visceral pain?

This project investigates the effect of negative expectations on visceroception and visceral pain in healthy participants and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as the extent to which these effects apply to another pain modality (somatic pain). Using an established, clinically relevant tonic pain model to deliver translational research, it will focus on the modulating role of stress and affective comorbidity, as these are factors that characterise patients with IBS and other chronic pain disorders.

Recommended reading:

Benson S, Siebert C, Koenen LR, Engler H, Kleine-Borgmann J, Bingel U, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2019) Cortisol affects pain sensitivity and pain-related emotional learning in experimental visceral but not somatic pain: A randomized-controlled study in healthy men and women. Pain 160(8):1719-1728. PubMed

Elsenbruch S, Rosenberger C, Enck P, Forsting M, Schedlowski M, Gizewski ER (2010) Affective disturbances modulate the neural processing of visceral pain stimuli in irritable bowel syndrome: an fMRI study. Gut 59:489-95. PubMed

Elsenbruch S, Rosenberger C, Bingel U, Forsting M, Schedlowski M, Gizewski ER (2010) Altered emotional modulation of the neural response to visceral stimuli in irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 139:1310-1319. PubMed

Schmid J, Theysohn N, Gaß F, Benson S, Gramsch C, Forsting M, Gizewski ER, Elsenbruch S (2013) Neural mechanisms mediating positive and negative treatment expectations in visceral pain: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study on placebo and nocebo effects in healthy volunteers. Pain 154:2372-2380. PubMed