The PRIME study investigates how the body’s stress and immune responses influence health and disease. We study individuals with early chronic pain and healthy controls to understand how physiological responses are regulated and how they relate to physical and psychological symptoms.
The study, called PRIME (short for Physiological Reactivity in Health and Disease: Mechanisms and Effects), follows 144 participants with musculoskeletal pain over the first year, compared to healthy controls.
We examine how the body reacts to stress and immune challenges, including the magnitude and patterns of these responses.
The aim is to characterize an understudied chronic pain population and provide new insights into endogenous regulatory functions. The findings may inform the development of more individualized and effective treatment strategies.