How does pain impact the brain & cognition?

Learning about neuroplasticity was a canon event in my behavior consultant origin story. Knowing that the experiences my dogs have - the experiences I expose them to - change their brain was an "aha!" moment.

Using punitive methods when chronic pain and stress cause literal brain damage is unhinged. Equally insidious, is proceeding with behavior modification when pain has not been investigated and managed.

Chronic pain, whether from disease or our own doing, makes dogs less trainable. Everything from motivation, to attention regulation, information processing and memory are impaired by pain.

According to Dr. Kathy Murphy, chronic pain will cause deficits in cognition before physical lameness or mood disturbances occur. One of the primary signs she draws attention to is frustration.

Frustrated dogs are easily distractable and overstimulated. They engage in jumpy, barky, mouthy and even humpy behaviors. Dogs experiencing chronic pain become frustrated because they cannot learn and behave as needed to function in their world (and meet our lofty demands).

However, neuroplasticity does not have to be our nemesis. The relationship between pain and cognition is not one direction. We can use cognitive processes to alter our dog's perception of pain.

Environmental enrichment (EE), where animals can meet their needs at will and exercise control, has been show to decrease pain sensitivity. Additionally and dog specially, engaging our dog's sense of smell can have powerful impact on their pain state!

EE isn't just having some dog toys scattered around the floor. Environmental enrichment for dogs are opportunities to…
• Engage sniffing, foraging, shredding, digging, etc without having to go through you.
• Use their behavior to manipulate the enviro (control).
• Choose from a variety of ways to meet the same need.
• Interact with (individual appropriate) novelty.
• Use all their senses to explore their world.

It's not just your home, it's your dog's home, too. It is long overdue that we normalize homes that look like dogs live a full life in them (not just exist in them).

​Ambron, R. (2022). The brain and pain: Breakthroughs in neuroscience. Columbia University Press.

Doidge, N. (2017) Chapter Seven - Dark Side of Pain. In The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of Brain Science (pp. 177-195)

Costandi, M. (2016). Neuroplasticity (The MIT Press essential knowledge series). MIT Press.

Heath, S., & Capon, H. (2020, April 28). CAM Live: Pain & behavior. Youtube (Unlisted). Canine Arthritis Management.

Jarcho, J. M., Mayer, E. A., Jiang, Z. K., Feier, N. A., & London, E. D. (2012). Pain, affective symptoms, and cognitive deficits in patients with cerebral dopamine dysfunction. PAIN®, 153(4), 744-754.

Kimura, L. F., Novaes, L. S., Picolo, G., Munhoz, C. D., Cheung, C. W., & Camarini, R. (2022). How environmental enrichment balances out neuroinflammation in chronic pain and comorbid depression and anxiety disorders. British Journal of Pharmacology, 179(8), 1640-1660.

Moriarty, O., McGuire, B. E., & Finn, D. P. (2011). The effect of pain on cognitive function: a review of clinical and preclinical research. Progress in neurobiology, 93(3), 385-404.

Murphy, K., & Capon, H. (2021, November 17). Pain and neuroscience. Canine Arthritis Management https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis/videos/361425985734208

Solberg Nes, L., Roach, A. R., & Segerstrom, S. C. (2009). Executive functions, self-regulation, and chronic pain: a review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 37(2), 173-183.

Tennant F. Brain Atrophy with Chronic Pain: A Call for Enhanced Treatment Pract Pain Manag, 2009:9(2)