Pain Research Center

The NIHPRC serves the intramural research program by providing a comprehensive environment for scientific discovery related to pain and associated symptoms. The NIHPRC is always open to developing new collaborations and supporting intramural investigators. 

Some of the services we provide include: 

• Consultation (e.g., experimental design, sensory testing, brain imaging, data analysis plan)
• Outpatient clinic space for testing 

• Quantitative sensory testing assessments 
  • Thermal discrimination/pain threshold and pain tolerance 
  • Mechanical discrimination/pain threshold and pain tolerance 
  • Cold pressor/cold water bath 
  • Electric shock stimulation 
  • Pressure sensation (algometer, custom inflatable cuff, custom scale) 
  • Punctate touch/von Frey 
  • Dynamic touch/brush 
  • Vibrotactile testing 
  • Touch discrimination/two-point detection 
  • Proprioception (goniometer, grasping) 
  • Itch testing using pruritic substances 
  • Experimental allodynia/hyperalgesia testing (e.g., capsaicin model) 
  • Oral sensation 

• Peripheral perfusion assessments (laser speckle contrast imaging) 
• Equipment customization 
• Assay development 
• Pain-related neuroimaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI], functional near-infrared spectroscopy [fNIRS], electroencephalography [EEG])
• Autonomic measurement (e.g., skin conductance, impedance cardiography, electrocardiography, respiration, pulse plethysmography, blood pressure, pupillometry) 
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS)
• Quantitative ultrasound imaging (e.g., shear wave elastography, echo intensity)
• Psychometric questionnaires and assessments 
• Neurocognitive assessments

Other services include equipment operation and instruction, MRI technician, data collection and transfer, medical coverage, and data analysis. Please use this link to request a meeting or resources.