Investigating endogenous pain modulation through pupillometry: can pupil size reflect offset analgesia?
Anna Leonhartsberger, Iwanka Iwanojko, Joëlle Katharina Metzger, Florin Allmendinger, Michèle Hubli · 2026
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Description
Anna Leonhartsberger and co-authors test whether pupil size can track pain relief in a 2026 study. When a strong stimulus eases just a bit, pain often drops by a lot, a quirk called offset analgesia. That drop is thought to reflect the body's own pain control system. Self ratings of pain can be swayed by mood and thought, so a body based sign would help.
Pupil size links closely to nerves that react to pain and arousal. The study asks whether pupil changes mirror the relief seen in pain ratings. Early results in healthy people suggest pupil tracking can catch relief like effects. Such a tool could one day help spot faulty pain control in people with chronic pain.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Anna Leonhartsberger, Iwanka Iwanojko, Joëlle Katharina Metzger, Florin Allmendinger, Michèle Hubli |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 29 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |