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New Study Reveals Brainstem's Role in Pain Relief

10/27/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A University of Sydney-led study maps a pain-related brainstem network that activates differently for facial, arm, and leg pain.
The research, published in Science, used 7-Tesla fMRI to identify brainstem regions regulating pain relief.
Lead author Dr. Lewis Crawford says the findings could enable safer, non-opioid chronic pain treatments.
The results challenge prior beliefs about placebo effects and suggest a cannabinoid-linked brainstem area controls localized pain.

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Story summary

A University of Sydney-led study maps a pain-related brainstem network that activates differently for facial, arm, and leg pain.
The research, published in Science, used 7-Tesla fMRI to identify brainstem regions regulating pain relief.
Lead author Dr. Lewis Crawford says the findings could enable safer, non-opioid chronic pain treatments.
The results challenge prior beliefs about placebo effects and suggest a cannabinoid-linked brainstem area controls localized pain.