Investigating Biological Targets, Markers, and Intervention for Chronic Pain

Inclusion Criteria for Chronic Pain Patients: * Age range: 18-60 years * Must indicate pain intensity of 3/10 and must have experienced pain for at least 3 months * Must possess English language skills sufficient for providing informed consent, completing questionnaires, and understanding instructions * Must have a stable medication regimen or no medication or dosage changes within the past month Blood Collection Inclusion: * At least 110 pounds * Generally healthy by self-report on day of collection (i.e., free of cold and flu symptoms on the day of collection, no infections within two weeks prior to collection, no known sickle cell disease) * Including the study draw, blood donation for clinical or research purposes within the preceding eight weeks will not exceed 550 mL * No more than one blood draw will have occurred during the preceding week Exclusion Criteria for Chronic Pain Patients: * Prior diagnosis of bipolar I, bipolar II, psychotic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and/or narcissistic personality disorder * Current history (equal/less than 6 months) of substance abuse/dependence * Current history (equal/less than 6 months) of regular meditation practice (\>1 session/week; \>10 min/session) * Diagnosis of bipolar I, bipolar II, psychotic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and/or narcissistic personality disorder * History of medical illness associated with possible changes in cerebral tissue or cerebrovasculature (e.g.…