Interface Between Sleep and Pain: Symptomatology, Pathobiology, and Treatment Response (NIH HEAL Initiative Workshop)

The Helping to End Addiction Long-term^® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^®, is convening a virtual scientific workshop focused on the intersection between sleep/circadian rhythms and chronic pain conditions. The overall goal of the workshop is to identify opportunities to integrate advances in sleep and circadian science with priorities in pain biology, prevention, and therapeutics. The workshop will facilitate discussion on the state of the science in sleep and pain research and provide important information for National Institutes of Health (NIH) program and strategic planning. Registration is required.

Sleep deficiency (e.g., short sleep duration, irregular timing, poor sleep quality) and sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder) are frequently comorbid in individuals with acute and chronic pain conditions (e.g., osteoarthritis, neuropathy, cancer, sickle cell disease, temporomandibular disorders, fibromyalgia). Evidence points to a bidirectional relationship where sleep deficiency exacerbates pain sensitivity, and pain triggers sleep disruption. Sleep and circadian disturbances are modifiable, and there is an unmet need to identify potential therapeutic targets to mitigate pain pathobiology and improve pain management and treatment response. This initiative will support clinical intervention research aimed to determine whether improving comorbid sleep disturbances is a potential strategy to enhance pain management and outcomes in individuals where sleep perturbations and pain are comorbid.

The workshop is being coordinated by the following components of NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Topics to be covered:

• Delineate neural and peripheral mechanisms/therapeutic targets linking sleep disturbance and chronic pain pathophysiology
• Discuss the significance of circadian rhythms in pain symptomatology and hyperalgesia
• Identify strategies to improve sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances in the context of chronic pain conditions 
• Examine whether sleep and circadian interventions should be integrated into pain management strategies