Article
Neurosciences
Jesse K. Niehaus, Bonnie Taylor-Blake, Lipin Loo, Jeremy M. Simon, Mark J. Zylka
Summary: Peripheral nerve injury leads to long-term pro-inflammatory responses in spinal cord glial cells, but the identity of endogenous cells that resolve spinal inflammation has not been determined. Our study demonstrates that MRC1(+) spinal cord macrophages actively restrain glia to limit neuroinflammation and resolve mechanical pain following superficial injury, suggesting that therapeutic modulation of spinal macrophages could promote long-lasting recovery of neuropathic pain.
Article
Neuroimaging
Jesse L. Kowalski, Leslie R. Morse, Karen Troy, Nguyen Nguyen, Ricardo A. Battaglino, Scott P. Falci, Clas Linnman
Summary: Individuals with spinal cord injury experience different types of chronic pain. By identifying brain regions showing altered connectivity associated with pain, we can understand the underlying mechanisms and potential treatment targets. The study found unique resting state functional connectivity alterations in individuals with different types of pain, suggesting a link between pain experience and changes in brain connectivity.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Maria F. Bandres, Jefferson L. Gomes, Jacob G. McPherson
Summary: We found that motor-targeted spinal stimulation can modulate spinal nociceptive transmission, suggesting its potential for neuropathic pain-related applications and its ability to provide multi-modal therapeutic benefits for individuals living with SCI.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Vincent Huynh, Robin Lutolf, Jan Rosner, Roger Luechinger, Armin Curt, Spyridon Kollias, Michele Hubli, Lars Michels
Summary: Neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury involves plastic changes along the whole neuroaxis, with current neuroimaging studies showing a relationship between pain intensity and grey matter volume and connectivity changes. The underlying neural processes related to pain extent in neuropathic pain are still unknown.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giuseppe Forte, Valentina Giuffrida, Angelica Scuderi, Mariella Pazzaglia
Summary: Neuropathic pain is a common chronic condition that severely affects patients with spinal cord injuries. Current treatment options are limited, but nanomedicine shows potential for improving therapeutic efficacy. However, its application in treating neuropathic pain following spinal cord injuries still needs further improvement.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fangliang Guo, Xiaolong Zheng, Ziyu He, Ruoying Zhang, Song Zhang, Minghuan Wang, Hong Chen, Wei Wang
Summary: The study found that long-term treatment with NMD helps to improve locomotion, pain-related behaviors, and spasticity-like symptoms in rats with SCI, but has less effect on open-field activity, hind limb grip strength, and bladder function. Additionally, NMD-treated rats showed greater tissue preservation, reduced lesion areas, and increased perilesional neuronal sparing, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eva Widerstrom-Noga, Kimberly D. Anderson, Linda E. Robayo, Salome Perez, Alberto Martinez-Arizala, Lindsey Calle-Coule, Nicholas P. Cherup, Gabriel E. Fernandez
Summary: Many people with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, which is often difficult to treat due to its complex nature. A multimodal approach, involving pharmacological treatments, physical rehabilitation, cognitive training, and pain education, may be the most effective strategy for managing pain in this population. This study developed an educational resource called SeePain, which was evaluated and modified based on stakeholder input, including SCI patients, their loved ones, and healthcare providers. The final resource is a comprehensive guide intended to improve health literacy and enhance communication between SCI patients and their healthcare providers. Future research will validate the effectiveness of SeePain using a large sample of SCI patients.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Silvia Castany, Anna Bago-Mas, Jose Miguel Vela, Enrique Verdu, Karolina Bretova, Viktorie Svobodova, Petr Dubovy, Pere Boadas-Vaello
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether neuroinflammatory factor over-expression in the spinal cord and supraspinal structures may be associated with reflexive and nonreflexive pain response development from acute spinal cord injury (SCI) phase to 12 weeks post-injury in female mice. The results show that transient reflexive responses were observed during the SCI acute phase associated with transient cytokine overexpression in the spinal cord. In contrast, increased nonreflexive pain responses were observed in the chronic phase associated with cytokine overexpression in supraspinal structures, especially in mPFC. In addition, results revealed the contribution of neuron-glia crosstalk in the development of nonreflexive pain responses in the chronic spinal cord injury phase, as indicated by increased glial activation and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 upregulation in the neurons in the mPFC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Steffen Franz, Laura Heutehaus, Anke Tappe-Theodor, Norbert Weidner, Rolf-Detlef Treede, Sigrid Schuh-Hofer
Summary: Investigating the response of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to noxious heat stimuli, this study found that SCI patients had significantly higher response rates and reflex magnitude compared to non-disabled controls. The motor hyperresponsiveness to heat was correlated with spasticity, but not neuropathic pain.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Zhihao Zhang, Zhijie Zhu, Xiaoshuang Zuo, Xuankang Wang, Cheng Ju, Zhuowen Liang, Kun Li, Jiawei Zhang, Liang Luo, Yangguang Ma, Zhiwen Song, Xin Li, Penghui Li, Huilin Quan, Peipei Huang, Zhou Yao, Ning Yang, Jie Zhou, Zhenzhen Kou, Beiyu Chen, Tan Ding, Zhe Wang, Xueyu Hu
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms of photobiomodulation (PBM) in relieving neuropathic pain (NP) after spinal cord injury (SCI). It was found that PBM therapy inhibited the activation of microglia and astrocytes, decreased the expression of CXCL10 in glial cells, and mediated the NF-κB signaling pathway.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Kai Sun, Hao Zhang, Ting Zhang, Nan Sun, Jingru Hao, Zhiping Wang, Can Gao
Summary: Neuropathic pain is often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities and lacks effective treatment. This study reveals that HDAC6 plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain through neuronal activation and neuroinflammatory responses. HDAC6 may be a promising target for treating neuropathic pain.
Review
Neurosciences
David Ramos, Celia Duarte Cruz
Summary: In recent years, microglia have been recognized as playing a key role in the development of chronic neuropathic pain following peripheral nervous system injury. This review focuses on post-spinal cord injury (SCI) microglial activation and its connection to the emergence and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain after SCI. While the number of studies investigating microglial activity in SCI models is relatively small compared to those using peripheral nerve injury models, there is evidence supporting microglial involvement in central neuropathic pain. Changes in microglial activity are accompanied by molecular changes, including receptor expression and signaling pathway activation. Microglia may be important players and potential therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain.
REVIEWS IN THE NEUROSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Elizabeth A. Dugan, Benjamin Schachner, Stanislava Jergova, Jacqueline Sagen
Summary: Research shows that high-intensity locomotor training can significantly reduce neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury and maintain the reduction effect for at least two years, while improving gait outcomes and prolonging lifespan for rats.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Luciana Mendonca Barbosa, Fernanda da Valerio, Samira Luisa Apostolos Pereira, Valquiria Aparecida da Silva, Antonia Lilian de Lima Rodrigues, Ricardo Galhardoni, Lin Tchia Yeng, Jefferson Rosi Jr, Adriana Bastos Conforto, Leandro Tavares Lucato, Marcelo Delboni Lemos, Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira, Daniel Ciampi de Andrade
Summary: This study examined the relationships between symptoms and somatosensory profiles in patients with central neuropathic pain (CNP) caused by different types of lesions to the central nervous system. The results suggest that CNP of different etiologies may have different pain descriptors and somatosensory profiles, likely due to differences in lesion locations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Chang Sun, Junhao Deng, Yifei Ma, Fanqi Meng, Xiang Cui, Ming Li, Jiantao Li, Jia Li, Pengbin Yin, Lingjie Kong, Licheng Zhang, Peifu Tang
Summary: This article presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances in understanding the role of microglia in the development of neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). It delves into the detrimental and protective effects of microglia on neuropathic pain following SCI, as well as the mechanisms underlying their interconversion. The article also provides a thorough overview of potential avenues for future research in this area.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)