Imaging Pain in the Developing Human Brain. (360G-Wellcome-095802_Z_11_Z)

The aim of this research is to understand the development and plasticity of human pain processing, with a particular translational focus on improving clinical assessment and treatment of infant pain. When and how the human brain begins to process pain is fundamental to our basic understanding of human development and to paediatric clinical care. The key goals of this proposal are: (i) Undertsand the neuro-developmental mechanisms that underlie the beginning of human pain perception (ii ) To use fMRI to identify cortical and subcortical structures activated by noxious stimulation in the developing human brain? (iii) To investigate how noxious-evoked brain activity, spinal cord activity, and behavioural and autonomic responses are developmentally regulated? (iv) To establish whether morphine is an effective analgesic for procedural pain in newborn infants?