Research Overview

Dr. Moulton is a multi-disciplinary clinician scientist with research interests in the neuroscience of pain. His research investigates the central nervous system representation of pain, as well as eye pain, including photophobia. Our current research focuses on the neural mechanisms of pain in patients with chronic ocular pain, to better understand its connection with the trigeminal system.

Research Background

 Dr. Moulton is the Director of the Brain and Eye Pain Imaging Lab and co-Director of the Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center at BCH. Dr. Moulton is originally from the Pacific Northwest, and graduated with a BA from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. He earned his Ph.D in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore with Dr. Joel Greenspan. He did his post-doctoral training at McLean Hospital with Dr. David Borsook.

In 2009, he was awarded his first NIH grant, a K01 mentored research scientist career development award. He joined BCH Anesthesiology in 2012 as an Assistant Professor as a key member of the Center for Pain and the Brain. He earned his doctorate in optometry in 2016 from the New England College of Optometry, and is now a clinician researcher who attends patients one day a week. He is the lead PI of a 5-yr multi-center NIH U01 grant that includes labs from Mass Eye and Ear, Mass General Brigham, and the University of Miami.

Publications

  1. Abnormal visual cortex activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging in treatment resistant photophobia in Friedreich Ataxia. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2024 Dec; 36:102213. View Abstract
  2. Sex and age-related patterns in pediatric primary headaches: observations from an outpatient headache clinic. Front Neurol. 2024; 15:1441129. View Abstract
  3. Refractive errors in patients with Bardet Biedl syndrome. Ophthalmic Genet. 2024 Oct; 45(5):435-440. View Abstract
  4. Allergic Rhinitis and Keratoconus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2024 Nov; 12(11):3096-3104. View Abstract
  5. The long-term impact of cerebellar tumor resection on executive functioning, anxiety, and fear of pain: A mixed methodology pilot study. Appl Neuropsychol Child. 2024 Apr 11; 1-11. View Abstract
  6. FL-41 Tint Reduces Activation of Neural Pathways of Photophobia in Patients with Chronic Ocular Pain. Am J Ophthalmol. 2024 03; 259:172-184. View Abstract
  7. Disentangling the neurological basis of chronic ocular pain using clinical, self-report, and brain imaging data: use of K-means clustering to explore patient phenotypes. Front Neurol. 2023; 14:1265082. View Abstract
  8. Is blue light a red herring in a rodent model of "computer vision syndrome"? Pain. 2023 Jul 01; 164(7):1640. View Abstract
  9. Botulinum toxin A decreases neural activity in pain-related brain regions in individuals with chronic ocular pain and photophobia. Front Neurosci. 2023; 17:1202341. View Abstract
  10. Placebos in pediatrics: A cross-sectional survey investigating physicians' perspectives. J Psychosom Res. 2023 09; 172:111421. View Abstract
  11. Clinical Neuroimaging of Photophobia in Individuals With Chronic Ocular Surface Pain. Am J Ophthalmol. 2023 02; 246:20-30. View Abstract
  12. Frontiers in Ophthalmology (Lausanne). Opinion: Is pain an overlooked patient outcome? Elevating post-operative pain above a footnote. 2022. View Abstract
  13. Opinion: Is Pain an Overlooked Patient Outcome? Elevating Post-Operative Pain Above a Footnote. Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne). 2022; 2:871976. View Abstract
  14. Supraspinal Mechanisms Underlying Ocular Pain. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021; 8:768649. View Abstract
  15. Pain mechanisms and management in corneal cross-linking: a review. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021; 6(1):e000878. View Abstract
  16. In memoriam: Joel D. Greenspan 1952 to 2021. Pain. 2021 Oct 01; 162(10):2459-2463. View Abstract
  17. A lateralized model of the pain-depression dyad. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 08; 127:876-883. View Abstract
  18. Neuropathic corneal pain and dry eye: a continuum of nociception. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 08; 106(8):1039-1043. View Abstract
  19. Atypical spatiotemporal activation of cerebellar lobules during emotional face processing in adolescents with autism. Hum Brain Mapp. 2021 05; 42(7):2099-2114. View Abstract
  20. Ictal and interictal brain activation in episodic migraine: Neural basis for extent of allodynia. PLoS One. 2021; 16(1):e0244320. View Abstract
  21. Photophobia: shared pathophysiology underlying dry eye disease, migraine and traumatic brain injury leading to central neuroplasticity of the trigeminothalamic pathway. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 06; 105(6):751-760. View Abstract
  22. Blue light activates pulvinar nuclei in longstanding idiopathic photophobia: A case report. Neuroimage Clin. 2019; 24:102096. View Abstract
  23. C-Fiber Assays in the Cornea vs. Skin. Brain Sci. 2019 Nov 12; 9(11). View Abstract
  24. Effect of Scleral Lenses on Corneal Topography in Keratoconus: A Case Series of Cross-Linked Versus Non-Cross-Linked Eyes. Cornea. 2019 Aug; 38(8):986-991. View Abstract
  25. Pain affect disrupted in children with posterior cerebellar tumor resection. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2019 02; 6(2):344-354. View Abstract
  26. Consensus Paper: Cerebellum and Emotion. Cerebellum. 2017 04; 16(2):552-576. View Abstract
  27. Oculofacial Pain: Corneal Nerve Damage Leading to Pain Beyond the Eye. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Oct 01; 57(13):5285-5287. View Abstract
  28. Red-Tinted Contact Lenses May Improve Quality of Life in Retinal Diseases. Optom Vis Sci. 2016 Apr; 93(4):445-50. View Abstract
  29. CNS Measures of Pain Responses Pre- and Post-Anesthetic Ketamine in a Patient with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Pain Med. 2015 Dec; 16(12):2368-85. View Abstract
  30. Female migraineurs show lack of insular thinning with age. Pain. 2015 Jul; 156(7):1232-1239. View Abstract
  31. Consensus paper: the role of the cerebellum in perceptual processes. Cerebellum. 2015 Apr; 14(2):197-220. View Abstract
  32. The responsive amygdala: treatment-induced alterations in functional connectivity in pediatric complex regional pain syndrome. Pain. 2014 Sep; 155(9):1727-1742. View Abstract
  33. The cerebellum and addiction: insights gained from neuroimaging research. Addict Biol. 2014 May; 19(3):317-31. View Abstract
  34. Altered hypothalamic functional connectivity with autonomic circuits and the locus coeruleus in migraine. PLoS One. 2014; 9(4):e95508. View Abstract
  35. The human amygdala and pain: evidence from neuroimaging. Hum Brain Mapp. 2014 Feb; 35(2):527-38. View Abstract
  36. An approach to localizing corneal pain representation in human primary somatosensory cortex. PLoS One. 2012; 7(9):e44643. View Abstract
  37. BOLD responses in somatosensory cortices better reflect heat sensation than pain. J Neurosci. 2012 Apr 25; 32(17):6024-31. View Abstract
  38. Mapping pain activation and connectivity of the human habenula. J Neurophysiol. 2012 May; 107(10):2633-48. View Abstract
  39. The Migraine Brain. Editors: Goadsby P, May A, Borsook D, Hargreaves R. Functional imaging of the migraine brain: new insights into brain dysfunction. 2012. View Abstract
  40. Neuroimaging of the periaqueductal gray: state of the field. Neuroimage. 2012 Mar; 60(1):505-22. View Abstract
  41. Aversion-related circuitry in the cerebellum: responses to noxious heat and unpleasant images. J Neurosci. 2011 Mar 09; 31(10):3795-804. View Abstract
  42. Painful heat reveals hyperexcitability of the temporal pole in interictal and ictal migraine States. Cereb Cortex. 2011 Feb; 21(2):435-48. View Abstract
  43. The cerebellum and pain: passive integrator or active participator? Brain Res Rev. 2010 Oct 05; 65(1):14-27. View Abstract
  44. A fMRI evaluation of lamotrigine for the treatment of trigeminal neuropathic pain: pilot study. Pain Med. 2010 Jun; 11(6):920-41. View Abstract
  45. An fMRI case report of photophobia: activation of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway. Pain. 2009 Oct; 145(3):358-363. View Abstract
  46. Segmentally arranged somatotopy within the face representation of human primary somatosensory cortex. Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Mar; 30(3):757-65. View Abstract
  47. CNS Measures of Pain Responses Pre- and Post-Anesthetic Ketamine in a Patient with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Pain Med. 2009 Feb 25. View Abstract
  48. Head, Face, and Neck Pain: Science, Evaluation, and Management. Editors: Mehta N, Maloney GE, Bana DS, Scrivani SJ. Structural and functional imaging of the trigeminal system. 2009. View Abstract
  49. Interictal dysfunction of a brainstem descending modulatory center in migraine patients. PLoS One. 2008; 3(11):e3799. View Abstract
  50. fMRI reveals distinct CNS processing during symptomatic and recovered complex regional pain syndrome in children. Brain. 2008 Jul; 131(Pt 7):1854-79. View Abstract
  51. Human cerebellar responses to brush and heat stimuli in healthy and neuropathic pain subjects. Cerebellum. 2008; 7(3):252-72. View Abstract
  52. Comparison of evoked vs. spontaneous tics in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia (tic doloureux). Mol Pain. 2007 Nov 06; 3:34. View Abstract
  53. Neuroimaging revolutionizes therapeutic approaches to chronic pain. Mol Pain. 2007 Sep 11; 3:25. View Abstract
  54. Capsaicin-induced thermal hyperalgesia and sensitization in the human trigeminal nociceptive pathway: an fMRI study. Neuroimage. 2007 May 01; 35(4):1586-600. View Abstract
  55. Encyclopedic Reference of Pain. Editors: Schmidt RF, Willis WD. Secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and insula; effect of lesions and stimulation on pain related behavior in animals and humans. 2007. View Abstract
  56. Trigeminal neuropathic pain alters responses in CNS circuits to mechanical (brush) and thermal (cold and heat) stimuli. J Neurosci. 2006 Oct 18; 26(42):10646-57. View Abstract
  57. Functional imaging of the trigeminal system: applications to migraine pathophysiology. Headache. 2006 Jun; 46 Suppl 1:S32-8. View Abstract
  58. Sex differences in the cerebral BOLD signal response to painful heat stimuli. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Aug; 291(2):R257-67. View Abstract
  59. Regional intensive and temporal patterns of functional MRI activation distinguishing noxious and innocuous contact heat. J Neurophysiol. 2005 Apr; 93(4):2183-93. View Abstract

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