A Snapshot seminar hosted by the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience.

Host: Charlotte Lawrensen

Abstract: Pain and affective state interact reciprocally, whereby the latter can both influence, and be influenced by, the pain experience. Prof. Finn will present recent research from his laboratory and others aimed at elucidating supraspinal neurochemical and receptor mechanisms involved in (1) hyperalgesia associated with negative affect (anxiety/depression) and (2) fear-induced analgesia and (3) pain-induced negative affect. He will present research employing animal models including the Wistar-Kyoto rat model of hyperalgesia associated with negative affect, and a rat model of fear-conditioned analgesia, coupled with behavioural pharmacology, optogenetics, and neurochemical and molecular analyses of the endogenous cannabinoid and opioid systems. Results from clinical studies in patients with pain will also be presented. Increased understanding of the neurochemical and receptor mechanisms underpinning pain-affect interactions may facilitate identification of novel therapeutic targets and/or diagnostic approaches for pain, affective disorders, and their co-morbidity.

After the talk, there will also be coffee and biscuits in the tearoom, which will provide an opportunity to network or catch up with colleagues