Social modulation of chronic pelvic pain: Neural inter-individual co-variation and partner interaction (B11*)

• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 255156212

Social interactions influence pain perception and pain chronification. In project B11N, neural connectivity during the interaction of couples with one partner suffering from chronic pelvic pain will be compared to healthy couples using fMRI-hyperscanning. Data will serve as predictor for the response to a "social intervention" (instructed couple exercises in everyday life) and as neural outcome to 2nd testing after the intervention phase. This data will be interpreted in association to pain-related affective and neuroendocrine measures in everyday life, with the aim to augment multimodal pain therapy with social elements.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1158: From nociception to chronic pain: Structure-function properties of neural pathways and their reorganisation
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Dr. Edda Bilek, until 4/2024; Professorin Dr. Beate Ditzen; Professor Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, since 4/2024