Research summary
An acute injury is likely to cause you pain—but the tissue damage typically associated with such an injury is not necessarily a reliable predictor of whether that pain will become chronic. In fact, the causes of chronic pain are poorly understood, and its diagnosis and management continue to challenge health-care professionals. Dr. Etienne Vachon-Presseau, Canada Research Chair in Chronic Pain, aims to develop better tools for safely and effectively diagnosing and treating chronic pain.
He and his research team are applying machine learning algorithms to multi-modal brain imaging data to develop brain-based biomarkers to help diagnose chronic pain and predict opioid cravings. They will examine these brain markers in combination with socio-cultural factors in under-represented populations to fully grasp the context to which these biomarkers can predict health outcomes. Ultimately, their work will contribute to the development of better tools for managing chronic pain.