- Membership & Community
-
Publications & News
- Physiology Journals
-
Newsroom
-
The Physiologist Magazine
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
-
In Depth
- In Depth—The Bear Necessities
- In Depth: Understanding Circadian Rhythms
- In Depth: Understanding Data
- In Depth: Exercise Physiology: Take Your Medicine at the Gym
- In Depth: Neurodegenerative Disorders
- Imaging Methods Unveil the Invisible
- Rewiring the Brain: Breakthroughs in Neural Therapy
- What’s Coming Next for GLP-1 and Metabolic Disease Treatment
- Understanding the Effects of Maternal Exercise
-
Mentoring Forum
- Net Worth
- Take Care
- You … In Charge
- Work. It. Out.
- Working Off-site
- Location, Location, Location?
- Student Support
- Progressing to Postdoc
- Relationship Building
- Let’s Get It Started
- What Do We Value?
- It’s a Postdoc Life
- Coronavirus Contributions
- Creative Communications
- Selection Process
- Conference Connections
- Postdoc Appreciation
- Research Rewards
- Focus on Teaching
- Industry Insights
- Balance Beam
- Post Postdoc
- If You Build It
- Talk It Through
- Forward Bound
- I’ve Earned My PhD. Now What?
- University Life
- Tips for Trainees
- Time Travel
- Prepare Now for the Career You Want
- Landing a Postdoctoral Researcher Position
- Becoming a Physician-Scientist
- Mastering the Art of Science Communication
- Setting Yourself Up for Success in the Lab
- From Postdoc to Professor: Key Strategies for Success
- How to Stay Motivated in Challenging Times
- Staying Motivated Throughout Your Career
-
Policy IQ
- Policy IQ—2023 in Review: How APS Advocated on Behalf of Physiologists
- Policy IQ—Supporting Equitable Research
- NIH's Road Map to a Better Postdoc Experience
- The Career Path to Science Advocacy
- Culture of Safety: Stopping Sexual Misconduct
- Physiologists Return to Capitol Hill
- Tips for Scientists to Communicate about Animal Research
- Science Advocacy in a New Political Landscape
- Tips for Making the Call to Congress
- Science Spending Is an Investment
-
Publish with Polish
- Publish with Polish
- The Layers of Open Science
- Take Your Content From Meeting to Manuscript
- APS Journals to Highlight Women’s Health Research
- What Subscribe to Open Means for APS Members
- The 5 Pillars of Publish with Purpose
- 3 Types of Metadata Researchers Should Know About
- Navigating Open Access and New Licensing Options
- Journal Manuscript Prep Made Easy
- How to Navigate Public Access Requirements
- Under the Microscope
- Mentoring Q&A
- Evolution
- Baseline by Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE
- 2025
- Find Us on Social Media
-
The Physiologist Magazine
-
Professional Development
-
Meetings & Events
-
American Physiology Summit
- #APS2024 Overview
- Abstracts
- Awards at the Summit
- Award Lectures
- Career Networking Lunch Form
- Dates and Deadlines
- Advocate for Health Research Funding
- Hotel Information
- Information for International Travelers
- Industry Partners
- Keynote Speaker—James Rothman, PhD
- Keynote Speaker—George Brooks, PhD, FAPS
- Keynote Speaker—Holly Ingraham, PhD
- Mobile App
- NIH and NSF Program Officer Panel Discussion Form
- Physical Poster Information
- PhysioHub
- Pre-Summit Events
- Registration
- Section & Group Banquet Tickets
- Social Events
- Speaker Audiovisual Instructions
- Summit FAQs
- Summit Newsroom
- Travel & Transportation
- Undergraduate Program Book
- Liability Waiver
- Industry Partners
- 2026 American Physiology Summit
- Joseph Erlanger: Pioneering Nerve Research and APS Leadership
- 2023
- 2024
- Scientific Integrity Policy
- Exhibitor Registration Form
- New Trends in Sex Differences and Women’s Health Research
- Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease 2026
- Comparative Physiology Conference 2026
- Webinars
- Related Meetings
- Future APS Conferences
- Conference Policies
-
American Physiology Summit
- APS Awards
-
Career & Professional Development
-
Career Gateway
-
Resources
- Transcript—Leading Through Conflict and Difficult Conversations
- Transcript—Managing Conflict with Colleagues
- Transcript—Leading a Team Through Conflict
- Transcript—Providing Difficult Feedback
- Transcript—Team Dynamics and Culture Primer
- Transcript—Building a Team
- Transcript—Leading a Team Assigned to You
- Transcript—Creating a Team Culture
-
Resources
- Career Navigator
- Center for Physiology Education
- Virtual Courses
- Physiology Job Board
- APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
-
Career Gateway
-
Meetings & Events
-
Advocacy & Resources
- Policy Areas
-
Resources
- Researcher Resources
- Educator Resources
- Trainee Resources
- Student Resources
-
APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
- Des Moines University
- George Washington University
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences—Biomedical Engineering & Physiology
- Michigan State University
- New York Medical College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University Medical Physiology
- Stony Brook University
- The University of Iowa
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University at Buffalo
- University of Colorado
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri-Biomedical Sciences
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of Nevada, Reno
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
- University of Texas Health Science Center
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Wayne State University
- Physiology Department Catalog Submission Form
- Boston University
- Women's Health Research Initiative
- Career Gateway
- Advocate for Science
- About APS

Long Beach, Calif. (April 21, 2023)—Measuring stress activity directed to the blood vessels of muscles could allow researchers to measure pain objectively, according to a new study. Researchers from the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Research Lab and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at McGill University in Canada will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California.
“Biomarkers function as a way to objectively measure pain and even standardize pain responses.” —Laila Chaudhry
Measuring and treating pain is one of the biggest societal and public health challenges, partly due to its subjective nature. Researchers worldwide struggle to find new ways to accurately measure pain because the “experience is so subjective across individuals. … Verbal pain reports are influenced by contextual factors, so they do not allow for standardization across individuals,” said Laila Chaudhry, PhD student and lead author of a new study.
Chaudhry and her colleagues studied a group of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. The volunteers participated in a cold pressor test, a common stimulus used to evoke pain. During the test, the participants’ hand and wrist were placed in cold water (around 39 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six minutes. The research team analyzed the volunteers’ stress response through measurement of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) at multiple points during the cold pressor test. The participants also reported their pain through a numerical pain rating scale commonly used in medical care settings, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain possible.
The researchers saw that increased incidence of MSNA bursts—which typically indicate higher levels of physiological stress—corresponded with higher subjective pain ratings on the pain scale.
These results open up the possibility of using MSNA to quantify pain, the research team explained. “Biomarkers function as a way to objectively measure pain and even standardize pain responses,” Chaudhry said.
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: The American Physiology Summit will be held April 20–23, 2023, in Long Beach, California. To schedule an interview with the researchers, conference organizers or presenters, contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more highlights from the meeting in our Summit Newsroom.
Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.
Related Content
- Living with Anxiety? Regular Sleep May Be Especially Important for Heart Health
- Compound in Tomatoes May Help Stave Off Weight Gain
- How Does She Run So Fast? Examining the Muscle Composition of a 91-Year-Old World Record Sprinter
- Endurance Exercise without Weight Loss May Reduce Body Fat
- APS Members Elect New Leaders for 2025–2026
- Scott Steen to Retire as CEO of the American Physiological Society
- Wolfgang Kuebler Receives American Physiological Society’s Presidential Service Award at American Physiology Summit
Contact Us
Journalists may contact APS Communications to:
- Interview an expert
- Request a copy of a study
- Get physiology background and resources
Email: communications@physiology.org or call 301.634.7314.