Dr Z Franklin, Dr D Wright, Prof P Holmes, Dr D Smith
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Visual perception of human movement activates a complex network of visual processing and motor intention. Individuals with chronic pain have an attentional bias towards threatening information and avoid particular activities due to a fear of movement. Understanding whether directing attention away from painful areas and towards task-relevant information facilitates activity in the primary motor cortex may provide valid opportunities to support physical rehabilitation.
Specific Requirements of the Project
1. Hold a good first degree (2:1 or above) in psychology, health, sport and/or exercise science, or another relevant discipline.
2. Ideally, have completed a Master’s degree in psychology, health, sport and/or exercise science, or another relevant discipline.
3. Have a good understanding of the academic research process, research ethics, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Project Aims and Objectives
Aim: To investigate whether the observation of movement modulates corticospinal excitability in chronic low back pain patients.
Objectives:
1. To explore whether corticospinal excitability is modulated during the observation of lifting objects of different weights in chronic pain patients and non-symptomatic individuals.
2. To identify the attentional biases of chronic pain patients to task-relevant and irrelevant information.
3. To collect affective responses to viewing activities of daily living from chronic pain patients and their perception of attention to task-relevant and irrelevant information.
4. To identify whether directing chronic pain patients’ attention to task-relevant or irrelevant stimuli modulates corticospinal excitability.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain affects approximately 10 million individuals in the UK and has significant psychological, physical and social implications. Chronic pain patients tend to report a fear of movement tasks that involve rotation and flexion of the back. Research has suggested that this may be due to their cognitive bias towards pain related stimuli (Franklin et al., 2016; Liossi et al., 2013). In order to understand the goal or physical requirements of a specific activity the observer relies upon his or her own sensory experiences related to the kinematics of the particular activity (de Lussanet et al., 2013). Due to their pain and associated fear of movement, chronic pain patients may interpret these actions as unachievable due to the negative sensory experience and avoid the activity. This avoidance of activity may be due to their enhanced attentional biases towards the pain site (e.g., the back), rather than focusing upon the goal of the activity and task-relevant information.
Research has shown a shared representation between observation and physical execution of movements (Fadiga et al., 1995). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used extensively to explore corticospinal activity in the motor system during action observation, with the amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP) response providing one marker of motor system excitability (Ruffino et al., 2017). Observation of actions is known to modulate corticospinal excitability in the specific muscles that are involved in the observed movement (Naish et al., 2014). People are able to accurately judge the weight of a box lifted from the ground by another person as a result of the kinematic cues they gain from the observed movement. This process requires the individual to interpret the force needed from the back musculature (e.g., erector spinae) to execute the observed movement. For example, Behrendt et al. (2016) identified that MEPs from the erector spinae were lower when observing a figure lifting a light box (3.25 kg) compared to a heavy box (22.25kg). Also, de Lussanet et al. (2012, 2013) have shown that sensorimotor judgement can be impaired in patients suffering from chronic back pain. This impairment could be due to an inhibition of the motor representation of the back as a result of their fear of movement and negative interpretation bias of the observed action.
To date, research has only investigated MEPs of the back in non-symptomatic individuals and no study has investigated the modulation of MEPs in chronic back pain populations. Therefore, we propose to conduct a multi-method research project to provide a greater understanding of motor control impairment in chronic back pain patients.
Study 1: Explore whether corticospinal excitability is modulated during the observation of lifting objects of different weights in chronic pain patients and non-symptomatic individuals.
Study 2: Compare the visual attention and MEP differences between chronic pain patients and non-symptomatic participants when observing activities of daily living deemed to be painful by chronic pain patients.
Study 3: Investigate whether directing chronic pain patients’ attention to task-relevant or irrelevant stimuli modulates corticospinal excitability during action observation.
Deadline for receipt of applications:
Date: 30th June 2018
Interview dates/ periods (if known):
Date: July 2018
When is the student expected to start?
Date: September 2018
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