In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with eminent neuroscientist, Dr. Tor Wager.  He discusses how expectations are a fundamental driver for how you respond to the experience of chronic pain. The expectation is created in the prefrontal cortex and the response is driven from the brainstem. Pain Reprocessing Therapy, a technique his lab has pioneered, helps patients create a new narrative about their pain and a belief that they can heal from chronic pain.

Tor Wager is the Diana L. Taylor Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, and the Director of Dartmouth’s Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience laboratory, the Dartmouth Brain Imaging Center, and the Dartmouth Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Professor Wager’s research centers on the neurophysiology of affective processes—pain, emotion, stress, and empathy—and how they are shaped by cognitive and social influences. More information about Dr. Wager and his lab’s activities, publications, and software can be found at http://canlab.science.