An official from the National Institutes of Health identified four key research areas for a record $400 million in funding allocated in 2010 for pain research, according to a report by the American Pain Society.
Patricia Grady, PhD, RN, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research, said the funding, provided by both the American Recovery and Investment Act and the Affordable Care Act, will be used in the following key areas:
- · Identifying the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of the pain response.
- · Improving the way pain is managed and treated, so as to reduce the impact of pain on one's ability to function and enjoy life.
- · Analyzing the individual genetic and environmental differences affecting how pain is experienced and treated in different people.
- · Studying the emotional and bio-behavioral aspects of pain perception and pain management.
Read the American Pain Society report on pain research.
Related Articles on NIH Research:
UC Irvine Anesthesiologist to Use $3.2M NIH Grant to Study Pediatric Pain, Anxiety
NIH Releases New Conflict-of-Interest Rules for Medical Research Funding
FDA, NIH Announce Initiative to Fast-Track Medical Innovations to Patients