Chronification of pain – Clinical Research
chronic pain, phenotyping, neuroinflammation
Research aim
Our group aims to integrate fundamental research and clinical pain studies with a focus on neuroinflammation to design strategies preventing and reversing the transition from acute to chronic pain in patients.
About us
Chronic pain, affecting one in five individuals, is a complex and debilitating condition. It can result from various underlying causes, e.g. tissue injury or inflammation, and significantly impacts physical and emotional well-being. Unlike acute pain, which serves as a protective mechanism, chronic pain often becomes a distinct disorder itself. As chronic pain is a multidimensional disease with biological, psychological and social factors, these all need to be taken into account when studying chronic pain.
Our group uses advanced diagnostics to evaluate biological aspects, including neuroinflammation, assessing o.a. inflammatory markers, and sensory profiles. Recognizing psychological factors within the patient’s social context is equally vital, contributing to the identification of novel clinical phenotypes in chronic pain patients. Subsequently, we aim to assess the efficacy of existing pain treatments within specific chronic pain subgroups. Our overarching objective is to shape innovative treatments, incorporating immunomodulating drugs and preventive interventions to alleviate chronic pain suffering.
To be able to study the complex construct chronic pain, our clinical pain center collaborates closely with Niels Eijkelkamp’s group. In 2020 we extended our multidisciplinary research group among who a psychologist, behavioural scientist, neuroscientist, engineer, and linguist, spread across the University of Utrecht, Wageningen University, and TU Eindhoven.