From the clinic to the lab (and back): a call for laboratory research to optimize cognitive behavioural treatment of pain

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the dominant psychological treatment for chronic pain. CBT covers a mixture of aims and a broad range of techniques, including attentional control, modification of maladaptive beliefs and coping strategies and flexible goal setting and acceptance. Patients are exposed to varying selections of these strategies, and a major challenge for clinical practice is to determine what works for whom in which context. We propose that incorporating laboratory research into translational behaviour medicine is a critical developmental step that will help optimizing CBT and provide examples of representative experimental research programs.