Emma – Newcastle Pain Research Group

Emma Beecroft was invited to speak in Naples, Italy, at the 38th International AIGeDO Congress on 10th October 2025. One of the core mission statements of the Italian Association for Gnathology and Orofacial Pain (AIGeDO) is to enhance practitioner expertise and patient care in this specialized field, making Emma’s invitation to present alongside eminent international colleagues a special privilege.

Her lecture highlighted the key role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in persistent orofacial pain conditions and explained the current evidence supporting the use of CGRP-inhibiting medications to manage chronic pain affecting the head, face, and oral cavity.

Presenters: Dominik Ettlin, Universität Zürich and Emma Beecroft, Newcastle University

CGRP inhibitors 2025 lecture slides Download

This study aims to understand the types of pain affecting the face, head and mouth regions in people with Parkinson’s disease. Most people living with Parkinson’s disease experience pain, and this pain is often not well managed. Pain acts as the body’s warning system, signalling that something may be wrong so that the area can be protected and given time to heal. Pain in the head, face, and mouth area (known as orofacial pain) is often felt more intensely than pain elsewhere in the body. This stronger reaction encourages greater protection of an area, which contain structures vital for survival, such as the eyes and brain.

We do not yet know what kinds of orofacial pain people with Parkinson’s disease experience, or whether this pain changes as the disease progresses. Learning more about these patterns could help healthcare professionals provide better pain management and, in turn, improve the quality of life for those with the condition.

Research team

Dr. Emma Beecroft

Dr. Hiba Salman

Professor Nicola Pavese

Professor Justin Durham

Emma Beecroft Principle Investigator FacE-PD

Contact details for research team

Primary investigator: Emma Beecroft

Address: School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4BW.

E-mail: emma.beecroft@ncl.ac.uk

Tel: 01912820974

Participant information sheet V3.0 FacE-PD Download

QR code link to FacE-PD online questionnaire