Neurobiology of trigeminal pain

The “Neurobiology of trigeminal pain” group is co-led by Prof. Yves Boucher (PUPH, DDS) and Prof. Nathan Moreau (PUPH, DDS).

Chronic orofacial pain represents a major public health challenge and a significant socio-economic burden. Despite considerable advances, its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, limiting accurate diagnosis and the development of effective treatment options. Our research aims to decipher how chronic orofacial pain develops, persists and can be relieved. First, we study the role of stress and vulnerability factors in pain initiation, to understand why some individuals develop chronic pain while others do not. Then, we investigate the neurovascular and neuroimmune pathophysiological mechanisms driving pain chronicity. Finally, we seek to develop innovative therapeutic strategies to improve patient care and health-related quality of life.

The clinical research of the group is based on cohorts of patients from specific hospital consultations (APHP Pitié-Salpétrière and Bretonneau). By combining fundamental and clinical research, our goal is to bridge mechanistic discoveries with clinically relevant treatments for orofacial pain disorders.

The group is centered around three complementary research axes that address the entire trajectory of chronic orofacial pain:

Research axis 1: Stress and vulnerability to trigeminal pain

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Research axis 2: Neurovascular and neuroimmune mechanisms

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Research axis 3: Therapeutic strategies for orofacial pain relief

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