Pain vs No Pain

Pain perception involves two main aspects: the type of pain being felt, and the suffering and negative emotions evoked by this pain. Painful stimuli activate numerous brain regions, sometimes called the pain matrix. However, the identities of neurons and their exact roles in processing pain in each of these regions remain opaque. The Wang lab is mapping detailed connectivity of neurons linked to pain perception, recording in vivo activity using electrophysiology and imaging approaches, as well as manipulating pain-activated neurons (using activity-dependent tools) in multiple regions of the pain matrix to understand both sensory and affective pain perception, and how changes in this system contribute to the suffering associated with chronic pain.

It is well known that in humans, belief/placebo, focused attention (such as in emergency situations or in battlefield), as well as other conditions can actually block pain perception. The Wang lab is interested in dissecting the central circuits that mediate such pain-suppression. Specifically, they are studying neural mechanisms underlying anesthetics-, placebo-, and stress-induced analgesia.