Brain Awareness Week is a global initiative that aims to increase public awareness and understanding of the brain and brain research. It is a collaborative effort between scientists, educators, and organizations to host events and activities that engage the public in learning about the brain and its importance to our lives. The week-long campaign includes a wide range of events such as lectures, exhibitions, workshops, and other interactive activities. These events are designed to promote brain health, improve public understanding of neuroscience, and inspire the next generation of brain scientists. Brain Awareness Week is an important opportunity for the public to learn more about the brain and its vital role in our lives.
The brain and pain have a complex and intertwined relationship, with pain serving as an essential aspect of human survival by alerting us to potential harm and prompting protective action. The brain plays a crucial role in pain perception, interpreting and processing various information about potential threats, context, prior experiences, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. Additionally, the limbic system, associated with emotions and motivation, influences pain perception by triggering emotional responses such as fear, anxiety, and depression. The prefrontal cortex modulates pain by regulating attention to pain signals and activating pain-suppressing pathways, such as through the release of endorphins. Moreover, the brain’s plasticity, or ability to change and adapt, can contribute to pain management, with chronic pain leading to long-term changes in pain perception due to brain reorganization.
Understanding this multifaceted relationship between the brain and pain is essential for effective pain management and treatment. In 2025, the EFIC congress will address the theme of “Comorbidity of chronic pain and mental health disorders: Breaking the cycle” in Lyon. This interdisciplinary theme is of interest to both researchers and clinicians, encompassing medical and non-medical healthcare professionals and touching on various fields. Chronic pain and mental health disorders, with their growing prevalence, often coexist and exacerbate each other’s impact. Workshop submissions for the congress are now open, providing an opportunity to explore these interconnected public health issues. Check out more details here!
To find out more about Brain Awareness Week here: https://www.brainawareness.org/
Please find related articles from the European Journal of Pain below:
Adaptive coding of pain prediction error in the anterior insula
Reconceptualizing pain-related behaviour: Introducing the concept of bodily doubt
Investigation of pain sensitivity following 3 nights of disrupted sleep in healthy individuals
Pain and Parkinson’s disease: Current mechanism and management updates
Pain modulates early sensory brain responses to task-irrelevant emotional faces
Is central sensitization relevant in acute low back pain?
Indicators of central sensitization in chronic neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury
