About the Authors

Valentina A. Carozzi

Contributed equally to this work with: Valentina A. Carozzi, Cynthia L. Renn

valentina.carozzi1@unmib.it (VAC)

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Cynthia L. Renn

Contributed equally to this work with: Valentina A. Carozzi, Cynthia L. Renn

Affiliation School of Nursing, Center for Pain Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Michela Bardini

Affiliation “M. Tettamanti” Research Center, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Grazia Fazio

Affiliation “M. Tettamanti” Research Center, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Alessia Chiorazzi

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Cristina Meregalli

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Norberto Oggioni

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Kathleen Shanks

Affiliation School of Nursing, Center for Pain Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Marina Quartu

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy

Maria Pina Serra

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy

Barbara Sala

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Guido Cavaletti

Affiliation Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy

Susan G. Dorsey

Affiliation School of Nursing, Center for Pain Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: VAC CLR SGD MQ. Performed the experiments: VAC CLR MB GF AC CM NO KS MPS BS. Analyzed the data: VAC CLR MQ GC SGD MB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KS NO GF. Wrote the manuscript: VAC CLR MB SGD GC.