Cortical pain responses in human infants - towards a rational analgesic strategy

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Babies in hospital, especially those that are born very premature, are regularly exposed to painful procedures as part of their routine medical treatment. However, infants are unable to say whether or not it hurts and other methods are needed to assess the amount of pain they feel. This study offers an insight into how best to manage pain relief in very young infants. We aim to assess the way in which babies respond to painful stimulation and other sensations while they are having their routine blood tests. Non painful sensations, such as light touch with nylon hairs and vibration will also be used. Brain activity will be monitored with electrodes gently placed on the infant’s scalp to see whether any waves arise in specific parts of the brain following a painful and non-painful stimulus. We will test how these responses change with age, whether they are affected by the number of painful procedures a baby has experienced, and most importantly whether they are reduced by current pain relieving medicines.