Neuroscience of Pain, Stress, and Emotion: Psychological and Clinical Implications

Neuroscience of Pain, Stress, and Emotion: Psychological and Clinical Implications presents updated research on stress, pain, and emotion, all key research areas within both basic and clinical neuroscience. Improved research understanding of their interaction is ultimately necessary if clinicians and those working in the field of psychosomatic medicine are to alleviate patient suffering.

This volume offers broad coverage of that interaction, with chapters written by major researchers in the field. After reviewing the neuroscience of pain and stress, the contents go on to address the interaction between stress and chronic/acute pain, the role of different emotions in pain, neurobiological mechanisms mediating these various interactions, individual differences in both stress and pain, the role of patient expectations during treatment (placebo and nocebo responses), and how those relate to stress modulation.

While there are books on the market which discuss pain, stress, and emotion separately, this volume is the first to tackle their nexus, thus appealing to both researchers and clinicians.

Represents the only comprehensive reference detailing the link between pain, stress and emotion, covering the neuroscientific underpinnings, related psychological processes, and clinical implicationsCompiles, in one place, research which promises to improve the methodology of clinical trials and the use of knowledge of pain-stress-emotion effects in order to reduce patients’ sufferingProvides comprehensive chapters authored by global leaders in the field, the broadest, most expert coverage available

Part 1: Introduction and Background on Pain and Stress 1. Neuroscience of Pain and Emotion 2. Neuroscience of Stress 3. Emotions and Pain 4. Sex Differences in Pain and Stress

Part 2: Psychological Processes Related to Pain and Stress 5. Pain and the Placebo Effect 6. Nocebo and Pain 7. The Neuroscience of Pain and Fear 8. Cognitive Factors in Pain

Part 3: Clinical Implications 9. Chronic Pain and Depression: Vulnerability and Resilience 10. Addiction, Pain, and Stress Response 11. Pain and Hypertension 12. Chronic Pain and Fatigue 13. Conclusion and Future Directions