Khetam Alfaraj
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Email
k.alfaraj@essex.ac.uk -
Location
Colchester Campus
Profile
- Systematic review
- Meta-analysis
Biography
My academic focus is on neuroimaging techniques. During my Master's, I conducted a study using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to examine whether tDCS can enhance attention in active versus inactive young adults. I am expanding my research through a PhD, concentrating on a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies to identify objective neurological pain markers in those with chronic pain, such as chronic primary patients (CPP) and chronic secondary pain (CSP). This involves analyzing responses to sensory stimuli (thermal, mechanical, and electrical) and during resting state. My aim is to delineate pain-specific brain activations in chronic pain sufferers compared to healthy controls, and to investigate the reliability and accuracy of neuroimaging pain biomarkers within the sensory and behavioural contexts of pain.
Qualifications
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M.A. Cognitive Neuroscience Swansea University (2020)
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B.S. Psychology Swansea University (2019)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI BOLD signal in chronic pain patients during ongoing and provoked pain.
Currently, I am specifically interested in investigating BOLD signal link to pain (e.g., ongoing clinical or experimental pain) versus no-pain (e.g., rest or innocuous) in chronic pain patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, I am interested in analysing the relationship between pain ratings and the concomitant BOLD signal. This will allow us to test whether the structures identified by the meta-analysis can predict the presence (and variation) of subjective pain.
