Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Approximately 20% of Canadians live with some form of chronic pain, but not all of them will experience pain in the same way. Pain intensity can fluctuate throughout the day in some individuals and remain constant in others. 24-hour circadian rhythms are known to regulate the function of our nervous and immune systems, and therefore may impact our experience of pain. It is unclear if circadian fluctuations in pain intensity exist across all chronic pain conditions, and the significance of these rhythmic pain fluctuations (or lack thereof) is seldom explored. I hypothesize that diverse pain fluctuation 'phenotypes' exist across all chronic pain conditions and that this pain rhythmicity can influence a person's quality of life in terms of their physical, mental, and social well-being. To address this hypothesis, I will answer three questions: 1.Can different patterns of pain fluctuation be identified across all chronic pain conditions and can people with the same underlying condition display a variety of pain fluctuation 'phenotypes'? 2.Can pain rhythmicity influence a person's overall well-being? 3.Are there any changes in gene expression associated with pain rhythmicity or other pain outcomes? To answer these questions, I will use a cross-sectional survey in combination with a series of electronic diaries which track the intensity of a participant's pain throughout the day for 1 week. Blood will also be drawn in the mornings and evenings, and analysed to determine genes and proteins that may be associated with circadian disruption and elevated pain. This work will help us better understand pain fluctuations and their importance, which may provide novel insight into how different chronic pain conditions can be more effectively managed.