In this week’s #PAIN Featured Image, Coulombe-Leveque et al. depict key pathophysiological changes in PTSD and nociplastic pain that form the basis of a proposed PTSD-inspired pathophysiological and conceptual model for nociplastic pain. Learn more at bit.ly/4pzT8ts

Two #WC2026 workshops examine placebo/nocebo mechanisms, featuring @christianbuchel.bsky.social and @ulrikebingel.bsky.social. Register: bit.ly/4qx0aOI

Zadeh et al. find that focused ultrasound stimulation of somatosensory cortex and thalamic VPL altered heat pain and warm detection thresholds, highlighting thalamocortical roles in sensory modulation and neuromodulatory potential. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4wl4e7N

Cook et al. report that remote CBT-CP approaches are beneficial across a variety of demographic and clinical characteristics, although patient adherence is critical and likely merits support among those using online self-directed programs #PAIN bit.ly/4bnGurF

Ellie here: On 26 October, the #WC2026 Pain and Placebo SIG Symposium will examine study design, expectation measurement and bias reduction. Faculty include @crblease.bsky.social and international placebo researchers. Separate registration: bit.ly/4fDr6c1

Claus et al. identify minimally important differences for functional disability, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, and pain self-efficacy, which can be used to determine clinical relevance of results. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4wpfhgA

Pain science advances when global perspectives come together. More than 5,000 pain professionals will meet in Bangkok for #WC2026, with plenary speakers from around the world, including @anninaschmid.bsky.social. Meet the faculty: bit.ly/4qx0aOI

Koch et al.’s human dorsal root ganglion circRNA profiling reveals opioid-associated alterations. Network analysis implicates nociceptor regulation and identifies circNTRK2 as a target, supporting circRNAs as modulators of nociceptor function #PAIN bit.ly/449we2p

In this week’s #PAIN Featured Image, Ho et al. depict the marginal means from ANCOVA analysis and show frequency, periodic power, and location data for each group. Chronic low back pain and high fear are associated with lower resting alpha and beta power bit.ly/3RdUKMP

Eather et al. find that digital psychological interventions for chronic pain consistently improve patient outcomes and experiences, but evidence on clinician implementation and cost-effectiveness remains limited. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4vaVj8i

Jagtiani et al. find that persons with sickle cell disease and high-impact chronic pain (HICP) experience poorer outcomes, and psychological factors may be associated with HICP. Chronic pain and HICP may be dynamic states. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4v8GXoG

Sweeney et al.’s longitudinal modeling of young adult breast and gynecological cancer survivors showed that fear of recurrence predicts pain and fatigue, identifying a target to reduce post-cancer symptom burden. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4bmzoUi

John et al. find that minocycline alleviates chronic mechanical hypersensitivity in male—but not female—sickle cell disease mice by altering spinal microglia infiltration and the gut microbiome. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4vcxrBd

In this week’s #PAIN Featured Image, Rasmussen et al. illustrate signaling pathways in the dura mater that may generate peroxynitrite in response to levcromakalim. Their findings identify eNOS-derived reactive nitrogen species as a potential therapeutic target for migraine. bit.ly/3SXThe5

Why does lived experience belong in research? Marie-Eve Hoeppli, PhD, and pain advocate Kate Nicholson, JD, discuss how lived experience can shape research and contribute to events like Painhack. Register: bit.ly/4qx0aOI 25–26 October | Bangkok #Painhack2026 #PainScience

Wang et al. find that machine learning-based segmentation can automatically quantify neurovascular compression metrics for trigeminal neuralgia; higher surface area of compression correlates with reduced pain recurrence after microvascular decompression. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4vrObVf

Rizzo et al. review advances in clinical hypnosis research and conclude that hypnosis is a practical and effective option for chronic pain management, with stronger study designs poised to further strengthen the evidence base. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4vanzrx

Bring your group, lab, or team to #IASP2026. Groups of five or more receive 10% off registration when submitted together and paid in one transaction. Join the global pain community in Bangkok, 26–30 October: bit.ly/4qx0aOI

Rosenbloom et al. find that psychological interventions can reduce pain intensity, pain interference, and trauma-related symptoms in people with chronic pain and co-occurring trauma symptoms, with benefits lasting up to 6 months. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/3TcW8Ql

Klyne et al. find that postinjury sleep disturbance promotes neuroimmune changes that prolong pain, while aerobic exercise reverses these effects and supports recovery. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/3SWsf6N

In this week’s #PAIN Featured Image, Stratton et al. explain how pre-operative prevention of psychological stress-induced sensitization of nociceptors in women can help prevent post-operative pain. Learn more at bit.ly/44bAVbY

A meta-analysis by Mullins et al. of functional brain response to painful stimulation in areas involved in secondary mechanical hyperalgesia revealed increased activation in areas involved in pain modulation. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/44Fva6x

An @IASP.bsky.social Task Force and external experts used pairwise ranking to prioritize candidate clinical features to discriminate between predominant nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/3STPFK4

Fernández-Morales et al. report that chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with reduced heart rate variability and impaired vagal regulation, with distinct autonomic patterns across pain conditions such as fibromyalgia and regional pain. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4vdQlrf

@nkytang.bsky.social et al.’s network models reveal how mental defeat dynamically shapes daily pain experiences by increasing attention to pain and perceived impact on routine, relationships, self-identity, and future. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4wdf1kC

In this week’s #PAIN Featured Image, @khannalabuf.bsky.social et al. depict circular RNA dysregulation associated with opioid exposure in human DRG. Altered circRNA expression may contribute to opioid-associated molecular adaptations in nociceptors. Learn more at bit.ly/4wizmEW

Veinot et al. find that patients with chronic pain and high post-traumatic stress symptom show decreased working memory brain activity and have stronger connections to threat-related brain regions under high cognitive load. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4wFTSjp

Kelleher et al. find that neuropathic-like pain symptoms at diagnosis predict worse pain outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis. This association is independent of inflammatory activity and supported by neuroimaging evidence. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/447WKsU

Lee et al. find that anterior midcingulate cortex responses during pain catastrophizing predicted distinct trajectories of cognitive behavioral therapy response, a neural marker for guiding personalized intervention strategies in fibromyalgia #PAIN bit.ly/4v45Stt

Gilliam et al. find that cerebellar gray matter alterations in chronic low back pain link reduced crus I volume to impaired postural control and show lobule-specific associations with pain sensitivity. Learn more in #PAIN bit.ly/4wevAMW