主要研究 今天

More Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016 than were killed 在 Vietnam War. Of those deaths, some 40 percent involved opioids legally prescribed for pain relief. Now, with the support of a gift from Jayne “Kerry” Eastman Chandler ’84, 主要研究 neuroscience professor 罗宾不 is studying an innovative treatment for chronic pain and addiction that doesn’t rely on medication.

给罗宾的，系主任 传播科学与疾病 在 健康与人类服务学院, the research is the next step in a decades-long career spent exploring the science of how to better people’s lives by understanding their brains. 最近, he has become interested in mindfulness as a way to treat chronic pain and addiction — conditions that have increasingly gone hand in hand.

Robin’s goal is to use brain stimulation in conjunction with acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), which encourages people to embrace difficult feelings rather than avoid them, 帮助人们控制他们的痛苦，改变他们的行为. Treatment consists of once-weekly 90-minute group sessions over the course of eight weeks.

正是阿片类药物的研究促使钱德勒, 谁支持体育运动?, 过去的奖学金和学术项目, 继续她对主要研究的贡献，让罗宾更接近他的目标. She learned about his research when he made a presentation at the 主要研究 Foundation board meeting in January. 就像这个国家的很多人一样, Chandler’s life has been touched by the loss that addiction can lead to. She found the idea of a viable alternative treatment to addiction personally compelling.

“Listening to him talk about brain research and addiction — hearing that, it made so much sense. 他所做的工作是令人难以置信的，需要在那里.”

“The research on using mindfulness to treat opioid addiction really got to me,钱德勒说。, 基金会的董事会成员. “Listening to him talk about brain research and addiction — hearing that, it made so much sense. 他所做的工作是令人难以置信的，需要在那里.”

Chandler’s gift provides seed money for what Robin hopes will become the Institute of Behavioral 健康 and Neuroscience. The first step: purchasing a brain stimulation unit and recruiting subjects to undergo ACT. He will start with individuals who experience lower back pain before moving on to those with chronic pain and opioid addiction.

你的慈善创造可能性

To make a gift to endow a fund (such as a scholarship or professorship) or to support a program, or if you’re considering a bequest or have other estate planning questions, 联系 特洛伊芬恩，开发副总裁:(603)862-4940; 特洛伊.finn@xmlfd.net.

Robin has assembled a team of faculty members from the 传播科学与疾病, 健康管理和政策, nursing and psychology departments at 主要研究 and from the University of Texas 健康 Science Center at San Antonio, 他是在哪里开始这项工作的. Brain scans are set to take place at the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center in Hanover, 新汉普郡, 直到主要研究的脑刺激组成立.

“If we are able to use stimulation to help patients engage in new positive experiences, then we have a chance at normalizing brain function and their world experiences will change,罗宾说。. “Our data shows people are able to reorganize their brains with this type of therapy.”

最初发表于 冲击2018春季