The 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society
Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

Program Descriptions

Thursday, May 3

8–9 am
Keynote Address

Lawrence A. Tabak, DDS PhD, Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health

9–9:30 am
Plenary Session

Glial-Neuronal Interactions: Implications for Chronic Pain and Its Treatment

Joyce DeLeo, PhD

9:30–11 am
Welcome Reception and Grand Opening of Exhibits

11:15 am–12:45 pm
Symposia

(301) HSV Viral Vector Translational Approaches to Pain Relief

Karin N. Westlund, PhD (Moderator); David Fink, MD; David C. Yeomans, PhD

This symposium will evaluate viral vectors as clinically relevant therapies and compare the advantages and effectiveness of targeted vs. cutaneous administration.

(302) The Battlefield and Beyond: Pain Among Returning OIF and OEF Soldiers

Michael E. Clark, PhD (Moderator); LTC Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD; Robyn L. Walker, PhD; Rollin M. Gallagher, MD MPH

This symposium will present data and perspectives concerning the nature, prevalence, and treatment of pain among combat-wounded and other soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and will discuss implications for practice, research, and policy.

(303) Acceptance, Mindfulness, Values, and Cognition in a Contextual Cognitive-Behavioral Approach to Chronic Pain

Jennifer A. Haythornthwaite, PhD (Moderator); Lance M. McCracken, PhD; Kevin E. Vowles, PhD; Beth Dinoff, PhD

This symposium will focus on recent empirical results from a functional, contextual, behavior analytic approach to disability and suffering from chronic pain.

(304) Assessing and Treating Pain in People with Advanced Dementia

Mary Ersek, PhD RN (Moderator); Sheila Decker, PhD RN; John T. Chibnall, PhD; Lynn Snow, PhD

This symposium addresses the challenges of assessing and treating pain in older people with advanced dementia and presents the results of studies conducted to enhance pain assessment, management, and treatment in this population.

(305) Long-Term Implications of Repeated Pain in Neonates

Anne Z. Murphy, PhD (Moderator); Gayle G. Page, DNSc RN; Anna Taddio, PhD

Pain in neonates can have profound and long-lasting consequences. Presenters will address neonatal pain-induced changes in childhood behaviors, adult immune responses, and adult pain sensitivity. The impact of biological sex on these long-term changes will also be addressed.

(306) Alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptors in Acute and Chronic Pain: Actions and Interactions

George L. Wilcox, PhD (Moderator); Dennis Paul, PhD; Tracey A. Ignatowski, PhD; Laura S. Stone, PhD

Agonists acting at alpha-2 adrenergic receptors (2ARs) produce many physiological actions including powerful analgesic and antihyperalgesic effects. This symposium will review current understanding of the actions and interactions between 2ARs and other pain-related systems including opioids, serotonin, and the proinflammatory cytokine TNF.

1–2:30 pm
Corporate Satellite Lunch Symposia


2:45–4:15 pm
Symposia and Paper Presentations

(307) Immune-Glial and Pain Interactions

Erin D. Milligan, PhD (Moderator); Fletcher A. White, PhD; Joyce A. DeLeo, PhD; Mark R. Hutchinson, PhD

This symposium will elucidate the role of immune signaling and glial cells in the peripheral and central nervous systems in the generation and maintenance of pain facilitation. Attendees will learn about novel mechanisms that modulate glial function in the spinal cord and how spinal cord glial-opioid interactions alter pharmacodynamic responses to opioids.

(308) The Role of Exercise in Pain Management

Kathleen A. Sluka, PhD PT (Moderator); Karen E. Kuphal, PhD; Marie Hoeger Bement, PhD PT; Kelli F. Koltyn, PhD

This symposium will address the role of exercise as a nonpharmacological intervention in treating individuals with chronic pain, and apply principles of exercise prescription, derived from human clinical studies, to practical applications, such as patients in clinics.

(309) Ethnicity and Pain: Where Policy, Cultures, and Science Intersect

Barbara A. Hastie, PhD (Moderator); Jerome Wilson, PhD MA; Vence L. Bonham, JD

This symposium will address ethnic disparities in pain, including discussion of relevant National Institutes of Health programs, consideration of social and ethical issues regarding ethnicity and pain genomics, and presentation of recent findings focusing on ethnic differences in clinical and experimental pain.

(310) Past and Current State of Multidisciplinary Treatment Programs

Steven Stanos, DO (Moderator); Dennis C. Turk, PhD; James P. Robinson, MD PhD; Jeff Livovich, MD; Edward Covington, MD

This symposium will examine the state of multidisciplinary pain center treatment programs. Understanding past successes and failures can improve present program development, outcomes, and financial viability related to ongoing challenges of reimbursement and an ever-changing workers’ compensation market.

(311) Comparative Studies of Standard Sensory Assessment Methods with Operant Conditioning Paradigms

Carolyn Fairbanks, PhD (Moderator); R. P. Yezierski, PhD; Thomas Jeffrey Martin, PhD; Lisa M. Schrott, PhD

Sensory assessment in rodent models has relied largely on peripheral stimulation and reflex-based responses. This symposium will review and discuss results from the application of operant conditioning methods to the study of mechanisms underlying neuroplastic change, which compare outcomes from standard sensory assessment and operant conditioning methods.

(312) Paper Presentations: Molecular Approaches to Pain and Its Treatment

5–6 pm
SIG Meetings

(119) Measurement of Pain and Its Impact, Part 1

There are many developments in all areas of pain research and clinical practice related to measurement of pain. Some areas have seen bigger and some smaller advances but all constitute progress. This meeting will review current status and development in a few major areas. One theme that will be articulated is that recent technological and conceptual advances add to our ability to measure and assess pain, including electronic pain scales, better methods of conducting quantitative sensory testing, and pain assessment instruments for different pain conditions (e.g., neuropathic pain scales). This will be discussed further during the session, and other areas will be explored during the second meeting on Saturday, May 5, from Noon– 1:15 pm.

(120) Basic Science

The Basic Science SIG will meet to discuss various topics of interest. The Basic Science liaisons to the APS Board of Directors and the Scientific Program Committee will give brief reports of progress and activities over the year. There will also be open discussion from the floor and the nomination and election of a new co-chair for 2007–2008. The content of the 2008 Basic Science Dinner Symposium will be addressed, and a brief data blitz from three early career scholars will conclude the meeting. Speakers for the meeting will include Drs. Lucy Vulchanova, Derek Molliver, and Greg Dussor.

(121) Genetics and Pain

This meeting will involve an informative presentation concerning some of the newer genetic methodologies available for the study of pain. After the presentation, the group will discuss goals for the coming year, collaborative research opportunities, educational opportunities and other agenda items. Dr. William Lariviere will give a talk on QTL mapping and covariance analyses of pain traits, nonpain traits and transcript levels using the recombinant inbred mouse model.

(122) Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation

In 2005, the Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation SIG was formed because despite overwhelming evidence that comprehensive interdisciplinary treatment for chronic pain is both clinically and fiscally efficacious, third-party payers remain reluctant to pay for it and therefore many of the pain programs that opened in the 1980s have closed. This year the SIG is hosting a symposium on the survival of interdisciplinary treatment of chronic pain. Additionally, we plan to develop a list and descriptions of all national interdisciplinary pain programs to be shared with APS member and the public. The results of a patient satisfaction survey done by the American Chronic Pain Association will be reviewed.

(123) Nursing Issues

The Nursing Issues SIG will present “Challenging Aspects of Evidence-Based Pain Management Nursing.”

(124) Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents

The annual SIG business meeting will be held.

(125) Psychosocial Research

A data blitz will be conducted in which researchers will briefly present new data on psychosocial pain research.

Paper Presentations

For more information about individual paper titles and paper session presenters, please see our abstracts page.