Differential Neuronal Activation of Nociceptive Pathways in Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury

Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury severely reduces patients' quality of life. This study investigates how spinal cord injury alters pain-related nerve pathways. Researchers used a rat model of spinal cord injury and analyzed the activity of neurons in the spinal cord and brain after different types of stimulation. The study found that spinal cord injury leads to increased activity in specific types of neurons involved in pain processing, potentially identifying new targets for treatment.

• 1
  Spinal cord injury (SCI) amplifies the activation of dorsal horn (DH) neurons in a stimulus-dependent manner, primarily after noxious stimulation.
• 2
  SCI preferentially increases the activation of excitatory DH neurons, including spinal protein kinase C gamma (PKCγ) interneurons and NK1R+ lamina I projection neurons, while inhibitory neuron activity remains unchanged.
• 3
  SCI induces differential effects on supraspinal nuclei, with significantly increased activity observed in the locus coeruleus (LC) and medial thalamus following noxious stimulation.