The Brain and Pain

Breakthroughs in Neuroscience

By: Richard Ambron

Narrated by: Peter Lerman

Pain is an inevitable part of existence, but severe debilitating or chronic pain is a pathological condition that diminishes the quality of life. The Brain and Pain explores the present and future of pain management, providing a comprehensive understanding based on the latest discoveries from many branches of neuroscience.

Richard Ambronthe former director of a neuroscience lab that conducted leading research in this fieldexplains the science of how and why we feel pain. He describes how the nervous system and brain process information that leads to the experience of pain, detailing the cellular and molecular functions that are responsible for the initial perceptions of an injury. He discusses how pharmacological agents such as opiates affect the duration and intensity of pain. Ambron examines new evidence showing that discrete circuits in the brain modulate the experience of pain in response to a placebo, fear, anxiety, belief, or other circumstances, as well as how pain can be relieved by activating these circuits using mindfulness training and other nonpharmacological treatments. The book also evaluates the prospects of procedures such as deep brain stimulation and optogenetics.

Current and thorough, The Brain and Pain will be invaluable for a range of people seeking to understand their options for treatment as well as students in neuroscience and medicine.

The book is published by Columbia University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2022 Columbia University Press (P)2025 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A comprehensive review of the fundamental principles of pain neurobiology and electrophysiology, with interesting viewpoints on pain psychology and philosophy." (Carl Saab, Director of Pain Science, Technology And Research (STAR) Labs, Cleveland Clinic)

Almost Neuroanatomy 101 with world class professor

This book is a gem. If you're curious about how a person feels pain you will be more than happy with this book. The details of receptors and pathways are carefully explained in ways which are easily understood. You'll find out about how pain is 'felt' and how the sensations get from here to there - the anatomy of it and the physiology of it. Fascinating! Well written and read at a pace by a narrator with a clarity that will allow anyone to follow along. Everything from pricking your finger on the thorn of a rose to our most modern understandings of chronic pain: you'll understand how it all fits together. By the end you will also understand the miraculous findings in the field of pain control over the years, and what mysteries and challenges are still yet to be overcome.

Everything You Want to Know About Pain

If reviewing based on the information within the book, it is one of the most detailed books written about the latest research trends within understanding pain management. The author also discusses the basic principles behind pain on the molecular and cellular level. Those with a background in medicine, physiology or neuroscience will find the material interesting and maybe a refresher on some concepts. If you’re a casual science reader, this book is more technical than others written about pain, but not totally inaccessible. The only downside to this book was the narration which sounded very flat.