Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine received a three-year, $400,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to study how chronic neuropathic pain affects cognitive function in spinal cord injury patients.
The study, led by Roberta Vastano, PhD, assistant professor of cognitive neuroscience in the department of neurological surgery and an investigator at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, will examine how neuropathic pain affects focus, working memory and the ability to ignore distractions. Researchers will use electroencephalography and cognitive tasks that engage two or more senses to evaluate how pain interferes with performance during demanding mental tasks, according to a June 22 news release.
Participants also will complete a home-based cognitive training program designed to strengthen working memory and cognitive control processes. Investigators will assess whether the exercises can improve cognitive function and reduce perceptions of pain.
The project aims to generate data for larger clinical trials exploring whether cognitive training can help spinal cord injury patients better manage chronic neuropathic pain. The research could help identify new approaches to improving pain control and quality of life for patients, according to the release.
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