Source: https://napapainconference.com/speaker/a-vania-apkarian/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 00:05:19+00:00

Document:
Dr. Apkarian has studied pain for two decades, both in animal models and fMRI studies in humans.
His current interests include cortical dynamics of pain as well as brain plasticity. His overall goal is the uncovering of brain mechanisms underlying PAIN QUALIA. This work aims to alleviate clinical pain conditions and achieve a more profound theoretical and mechanistic understanding of the brain.
Chang, P. C., Pollema-Mays, S. L., Centeno, M. V., Procissi, D., Contini, M., Baria, A. T., … & Apkarian, A. V. (2014). Role of nucleus accumbens in neuropathic pain: linked multi-scale evidence in the rat transitioning to neuropathic pain. PAIN®, 155(6), 1128-1139.
Krieger, J. N., Stephens, A. J., Landis, J. R., Clemens, J. Q., Kreder, K., Lai, H. H., … & Andriole, G. L. (2015). Relationship between chronic nonurological associated somatic syndromes and symptom severity in urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes: baseline evaluation of the MAPP study. The Journal of urology, 193(4), 1254-1262.
APKARIAN, A. V., JÄRVI, E. J., & KNIFFKlº, K. D. (1989). Activation of carotid sinus baroreceptors reduces pain sensations evoked by electrical and cold stimulation. Proc Finn Dent Soc, 85(4-5).
Petre, B., Torbey, S., Griffith, J. W., De Oliveira, G., Herrmann, K., Mansour, A., … & Apkarian, A. V. (2015). Smoking increases risk of pain chronification through shared corticostriatal circuitry. Human brain mapping, 36(2), 683-694.
Kan, L., Mutso, A. A., McGuire, T. L., Apkarian, A. V., & Kessler, J. A. (2014). Opioid signaling in mast cells regulates injury responses associated with heterotopic ossification. Inflammation Research, 63(3), 207-215.
Chronic pain conditions are associated with abnormalities in brain structure and function.
Moreover, some studies indicate that brain activity related to the subjective perception of chronic pain may be distinct from activity for acute pain. However, the latter are based on observations from cross-sectional studies.
In a subset of subacute back pain patients, we followed brain activity for back pain longitudinally over a 1-year period, and compared brain activity between those who recover (recovered acute/sub-acute back pain group) and those in which the back pain persists.
Brain activity for back pain in the early, acute/subacute back pain group is limited to regions involved in acute pain, whereas in the chronic back pain group, activity is confined to emotion-related circuitry. Reward circuitry was equally represented in both groups. In the recovered acute/subacute back pain group, brain activity diminished in time, whereas in the persistent acute/subacute back pain group, activity diminished in acute pain regions, increased in emotion-related circuitry, and remained unchanged in reward circuitry.
Hashmi, J. A., Baliki, M. N., Huang, L., Baria, A. T., Torbey, S., Hermann, K. M., … & Apkarian, A. V. (2013). Shape shifting pain: chronification of back pain shifts brain representation from nociceptive to emotional circuits. Brain, 136(9), 2751-2768.
Vachon-Presseau, E., Berger, S. E., Abdullah, T. B., Huang, L., Cecchi, G. A., Griffith, J. W., … & Apkarian, A. V. (2018). Brain and psychological determinants of placebo pill response in chronic pain patients. Nature communications, 9(1), 3397.
Chang, P. C., Centeno, M. V., Procissi, D., Baria, A., & Apkarian, A. V. (2017). Brain activity for tactile allodynia: a longitudinal awake rat fMRI study tracking emergence of neuropathic pain. Pain, 158(3), 488.
Davis, D. A., Ghantous, M. E., Farmer, M. A., Baria, A. T., & Apkarian, A. V. (2016). Identifying brain nociceptive information transmission in patients with chronic somatic pain. Pain Reports, 1(4).
Yarnitsky, D. (2018). Why Does Acute Post Whiplash Injury Pain Transform into Chronic Pain Multi-Modal Assessment of Risk Factors and Predictors of Pain Chronification. Technion Research and Development Foundation Haifa Israel.

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