Dor e mindfulness?

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-09-mindful-people-pain-mri-imaging.html

Citando:
"The default mode network extends from the posterior cingulate cortex to the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain. These two brain regions continuously feed information back and forth. This network is associated with processing feelings of self and mind wandering, Zeidan said.

"As soon as you start performing a task, the connection between these two brain regionsin the default mode network disengages and the brain allocates information and processes to other neural areas," he said.

"Default mode deactivates whenever you are performing any kind of task, such as reading or writing. Default mode network is reactivated whenever the individual stops performing a task and reverts to self-related thoughts, feelings and emotions. The results from our study showed that mindful individuals are seemingly less caught up in the experience of pain, which was associated with lower pain reports.""

Mutação genética leva a insensibilidade à dor

E a sua compreensão pode ajudar ao problema oposto" (dor crónica):
http://www.newsweek.com/rare-genetic-mutation-causes-entire-family-feel-no-pain-750495

Citação:
"Their mysterious condition—called congenital analgesia— has puzzled scientists, but now a team of European researchers believe they’re one step closer to understanding the underlying mechanism."
(...)
"In their study, published in the journal Brain, the researchers found that mice with genetically altered ZFHX2 genes also had altered pain thresholds of hot and cold. However, other characteristics seen in the Marsili family—such as low sensitivity to pain—were not observed in the mouse model. Despite more research being needed, the team’s new findings could help propel research for chronic pain—a problem which affects more than 25 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health."

Aplicação para estudo de dor crónica e relação com o tempo

Um uso engenhoso da tecnologia (é uma simples app móvel mas a ideia é genial), da comunidade e o estudo de relações dos dados recolhidos (dor) com o tempo:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37301579
Citando:
"Because the app also asks people about their mood, this more detailed analysis will also reveal whether the weather has an affect beyond simply making people happier.
For the moment, however, even a preliminary month-by-month overview of the combined pain data from Leeds, Norwich and London - alongside the general weather pattern for those cities - shows that there is more to this much-discussed interaction than we might expect.
"This is just a quick snapshot," said project lead Will Dixon, a rheumatologist and professor of digital epidemiology at the University of Manchester.
"But one interesting thing it does is [challenge] that really common belief... that joints get worse if it's cold. Actually, the pain got worse [again] from April to June, and that was the one time when the temperature really went up.
"So it doesn't fit with that really common hypothesis.""

Os amigos, as endorfinas e a maior resistência à dor

Ter muitos amigos (ou boa condição física), mais endorfinas e, suspeita-se, maior resistência à dor:
http://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/mundo/2016-04-28-Um-surpreendente-efeito-secundario-de-se-ter-muitos-amigos


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/7114541/Meeting-mates-tops-the-pain-killing-gain-of-taking-morphine.html

(EN)

Mecanismo da dor cada vez melhor compreendido

... O conhecimento que foi usado nesta senhora (que nasceu sem sentir dor - parecer giro mas é o suficiente para a senhora se queimar ou cortar e não sentir nada, colocando a sua vida em risco a cada passo que dá na vida), pode agora ser usado no tratamento de doenças como a dor crónica (sentir dor am algum lado 24h sobre 24h):


http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/woman-feels-pain-for-the-first-time-at-39-after-being-born-with-rare-condition-a6762551.html