# Neurobiology of pain experiences in youth in the ABCD study

> **NIH NIH R21** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $423,500

## Abstract

Neurobiology of pain experiences in youth in the ABCD study
Project Summary
Chronic pain is a massive public health problem, with wide impact and profound detrimental effects on mental
and physical health of those afflicted, resulting in large societal cost. Of chronic pain syndromes, many are
more prevalent in females, and incidence increases dramatically during adolescence. Pediatric chronic pain is
costly in its own right, and unfortunately individuals with chronic pain in adolescence are likely to have pain
persist into adulthood, and experience high rates of comorbid depression and substance abuse. There are
known risk factors for chronic pain, including female sex, low levels of physical activity, depressed mood, and
sleep disturbance, but mechanisms underlying pain persistence are not well understood, particularly from a
neurobiological perspective. Additionally, in pediatric populations there is minimal research on neurobiological
correlates of pain in sufficiently large samples, and limited prospective research on pain trajectories
incorporating neurobiological data. In this study, we will prospectively examine neurobiological and
biopsychosocial features associated with pain during adolescence, a critical period for development of
emotional and regulatory functioning, to predict pain maintenance and associated impacts over time. To do
this, we will utilize data from an estimated n=3773 11-12 year olds (49% female) participating in the ABCD
Study who report experiencing pain in the past month, as well as an equal-sized comparison sample, matched
on age and demographic variables, who report experiencing no pain in the past month. We will utilize resting
state, functional, and structural neuroimaging, and comprehensive phenotypic assessment of risk factors at
baseline to characterize the neurobiological correlates of pain experiences in this large sample. We will then
examine pain trajectories over time (maintenance, increases, or decreases in reports of pain intensity, pain
locations, and pain-related activity limitations), and utilize hypothesis-driven longitudinal modeling approaches
to identify brain-based and biopsychosocial risk factors predicting sustained and escalating pain. Results will
inform our fundamental understanding of neurobiological and related biopsychosocial risk for the development
of chronic pain during a key developmental period, and will inform development of screening protocols and
targeted preventive interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10597790
- **Project number:** 1R21HD112210-01
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna Camille Wilson
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $423,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-23 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10597790

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10597790, Neurobiology of pain experiences in youth in the ABCD study (1R21HD112210-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10597790. Licensed CC0.

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