Project Code
MRCNMH26Ca Tackley
Project Type
Wet lab
Research Theme
Neuroscience and Mental Health
Project Summary Download
Summary
Complex nervous systems attempt to minimise surprise and aid survival by forming predictions about the world. Surprise signals danger: it is evidence that the future was poorly predicted. Short-term (acute) pain has a lot in common with surprise. We propose that pain too signals a poorly predicted future, specifically poorly predicted damage.
Using human neuroimaging and rodent studies, this project will explore conscious and unconscious predictions, asking whether a reconceptualisation of pain as surprising damage is valid. For some individuals, pain networks malfunction causing persistent (chronic) pain and we believe our reconceptualisation could revolutionise the understanding of this debilitating state.
Lead Supervisor
Dr George Tackley
Lead Supervisor Email
University Affiliation
Cardiff