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A large proportion of babies born very early need intensive care, which can be painful. But the healthcare system fails to provide pain relief to the full extent. This is shown by the largest survey to date of pain in neonatal care, now published in the journal Pain.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that cells commonly associated with ageing and age-related diseases, known as senescent cells, may play a significant role in chronic pain and potentially headaches. This process has been linked to various conditions, including cancer and heart disease.

Our body perception relies on how the brain interprets and integrates signals from various sensory systems, including vision, touch, and proprioception – our body’s ability to sense its position and movement in space. In a recent study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet demonstrated that nociception, the sensory process that detects potentially damaging stimuli to the body, also plays a role in shaping our body perception. The article was recently published in the scientific journal PAIN.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a new comprehensive mapping of genetic activity for understanding the causes of chronic pain. The study, published in Nature Communications, opens way to more efficient non-addictive treatment for chronic pain and potentially headache disorders.

Caroline Ran, researcher at Karolinska Institutet, and Jacob Edvinsson, researcher at Lund University, are the first authors of an article which has been awarded the best scientific article on cluster headache published between June 2023 and May 2024. It is the first time since 2004 that the prize goes to Sweden.

In a study published in Science, researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe the neural processes behind how morphine relieves pain. This is valuable knowledge because the drug has such serious side effects.

When analyzing inflammatory markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, researchers at Karolinska Institutet found signs of inflammation in tissue from patients with cluster headache, specifically in the samples from the nervous system. The study was recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Eva Kosek, professor of Clinical Pain Research, has been awarded Roland Melzack Lecture Award by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Nine researchers from around the world have published a summary of the most recent progress in diagnosing and treating cluster headache, as well as understanding the development of the disease. The review article was recently published in Lancet Neurology.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified an interesting potential future therapeutic target in primary headache disorders. They have found increased amounts of a gene associated with cluster headache, MERTK, and its ligand Gal-3, in tissue from cluster headache patients. The study was recently published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Caroline Ran is one of three researchers awarded Pfizer's and the Swedish Headache Society's newly established research grant in migraine studies. Her research focuses on the correlation between migraine and mental health. The grant will be presented at the SHS annual meeting in Halmstad on 15 May 15 2024.

The StratNeuro Start-up Grant is intended to support outstanding Neuroscience researchers at the beginning of their careers. StratNeuro will allocate in total SEK 6,000,000 to fund this initiative, each project receiving SEK 500,000/year for a period of two years.