The relationship between the brain and our experience of pain

1. (Understand &) Explain
Pain
Lorimer Moseley
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
Senior Fellow
The GAMFI project
University of Oxford, UK
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

2. Nociception is neither sufficient
nor necessary for pain
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

3. The relationship between
nociception and pain is variable
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

4. Pain
Tissue
danger
pain
Take action –
remove danger
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

5. © GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

6. Complex reasoning
mechanisms based on
experience, context,
environment…MEANING
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

7. Complex reasoning
p ain mechanisms based on
experience, context,
environment…MEANING
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

8. Complex reasoning
mechanisms based on
experience, context,
environment…MEANING
“How dangerous
is this really?”
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

9. Pain does not provide an accurate
indication of tissue state –
It makes us take action to promote
our well-being (get out of danger!)
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

10. Every represented byte can modulate
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

11. Every represented byte can modulate
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

12. Every represented byte can modulate
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

13. Every represented byte can modulate
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

14. Every represented byte can modulate
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

15. multi-system
outputs
“How dangerous
is this really?”
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

16. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is not as dangerous as that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

17. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is not as dangerous as that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending inhibition www.BodyInMind.com.au

18. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is not as dangerous as that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending inhibition www.BodyInMind.com.au

19. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is not as dangerous as that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending inhibition www.BodyInMind.com.au

20. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is more dangerous that that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au

21. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is more dangerous that that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending facilitation www.BodyInMind.com.au

22. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is more dangerous that that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending facilitation www.BodyInMind.com.au

23. Every represented byte can modulate
Sum evaluative inputs = “It is more dangerous that that”
Pain
‘Basic’ protective responses
Motor system
Immune system
Autonomic system
© GL Moseley
Descending facilitation www.BodyInMind.com.au

24. Thanks
Lorimer Moseley
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
Senior Fellow
The GAMFI project
University of Oxford, UK
© GL Moseley
www.BodyInMind.com.au