Dr. Thomas Bilterys, who started his Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – COFUND EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship with us in October, has just published a chapter in Advances in the Psychobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, edited by Melinda Jackson and Sean Drummond. Do check it out: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003296966 Link opens in a new window

More about the chapter:

Chronic pain is one of the most common yet debilitating conditions. One of the most reported complaints by people with chronic pain is sleep problems. While sleep disturbances were initially seen as a consequence of pain, recent research advances have made it clear that sleep plays a significant role in the onset and persistence of pain. Despite the high prevalence and the close link between pain and sleep problems, there is currently no established treatment approach, nor a consensus to treat sleep problems in chronic pain as a priority. Greater understanding of the sleep-pain relationship and its underlying mechanisms is fundamental to the development, adaptation and optimisation of chronic pain and insomnia management strategies. In this chapter, the intricate bidirectional relationship between sleep and pain will be described. Moreover, an overview of the most researched potential mechanisms explaining the sleep-pain relationship will be presented. Lastly, current treatment approaches and directions for future research avenues will be discussed.

More about Thomas:

Thomas completed his PhD in health science from Ghent University and Rehabilitation Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2022. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Pain in Motion Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Health. His research mainly aims to increase insight into the interaction between sleep and pain and to improve the treatment of insomnia and chronic pain. His current research focuses on insomnia in people with chronic pain and possible treatment adaptations which consider the sleep-pain relationship to further enhance  treatment.