What Is the Relationship Between Pain and Emotion? Bridging Constructs and Communities

Author: Gadi Gilam, James J Gross, Tor D Wager, Francis J Keefe, Sean C Mackey
Affiliation: 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Road, Suite 200, MC 5596, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Electronic address: gadig@stanford.edu. 2 Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. 3 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6207, Moore Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. 4 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. 5 Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1070 Arastradero Road, Suite 200, MC 5596, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Conference/Journal: Neuron
Date published: 2020 Jun 15
Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.024. , Word Count: 65


Although pain is defined as a sensory and emotional experience, it is traditionally researched and clinically treated separately from emotion. Conceptual and mechanistic relationships between these constructs highlight the need for better understanding of their bi-directional influences and the value of bridging the pain and emotion research and clinical communities.

Keywords: affect; brain; chronic pain; emotion; interoception; mental health; nociception; noxious; pain; subjective experience.

PMID: 32562660