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Guo Z, Liu X, Yang Z, Huang C, Liu J, Liu L, Xu Y, Liu S, Xu D, Chen J. WITHDRAWN: Association between aberrant brain activity and pain in patients with primary osteoporotic pain: a resting-state fMRI study. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00134-9. [PMID: 38521479 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Guo
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoxu Yang
- Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chihuan Huang
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lanying Liu
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaowei Liu
- Department of Radiology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Daoming Xu
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jianhuai Chen
- Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
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2
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Qu Y, Peng Y, Xiong Y, Dong X, Ma P, Cheng S. Acupuncture-Related Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review of Neuroimaging Studies. J Pain Res 2024; 17:773-784. [PMID: 38435748 PMCID: PMC10908283 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s450515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture has been widely applied for treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Numerous studies have found that acupuncture can effectively alleviate KOA symptoms. With the advancement of neuroimaging techniques, integrating neuroimaging with in-depth investigations of acupuncture mechanisms has emerged as a hot topic in traditional Chinese medical neuroscience research. This review aimed to analyze the study design and main findings from neuroimaging studies of acupuncture-related therapy for KOA to provide a reference for future research. Original studies were sourced from English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Chongqing VIP database, and Wanfang database). As a result, thirteen articles were ultimately included in this review. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was the most frequently used neuroimaging technique to explore cerebral responses to acupuncture-related therapy for KOA. Findings suggested that acupuncture-related therapy could regulate some brain regions in patients with KOA. Specifically, for acupuncture, it showed that the medial pain pathway and the limbic system were involved in the regulation of KOA. Meanwhile, moxibustion induced a wide range of functional activity throughout the entire brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhu Qu
- Post-Doctoral Scientific Research Workstation of Affiliated Sport Hospital, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Acupuncture and Brain Science Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Peng
- Medical Aesthetics Department, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Xiong
- Department of Osteoporosis, West China Fourth Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaohui Dong
- Acupuncture and Brain Science Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peihong Ma
- Medical Technology School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shirui Cheng
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Acupuncture and Brain Science Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Bhattacherjee A, Zhang C, Watson BR, Djekidel MN, Moffitt JR, Zhang Y. Spatial transcriptomics reveals the distinct organization of mouse prefrontal cortex and neuronal subtypes regulating chronic pain. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1880-1893. [PMID: 37845544 PMCID: PMC10620082 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01455-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a complex brain region that regulates diverse functions ranging from cognition, emotion and executive action to even pain processing. To decode the cellular and circuit organization of such diverse functions, we employed spatially resolved single-cell transcriptome profiling of the adult mouse PFC. Results revealed that PFC has distinct cell-type composition and gene-expression patterns relative to neighboring cortical areas-with neuronal excitability-regulating genes differently expressed. These cellular and molecular features are further segregated within PFC subregions, alluding to the subregion-specificity of several PFC functions. PFC projects to major subcortical targets through combinations of neuronal subtypes, which emerge in a target-intrinsic fashion. Finally, based on these features, we identified distinct cell types and circuits in PFC underlying chronic pain, an escalating healthcare challenge with limited molecular understanding. Collectively, this comprehensive map will facilitate decoding of discrete molecular, cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying specific PFC functions in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritra Bhattacherjee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brianna R Watson
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohamed Nadhir Djekidel
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Moffitt
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Mitra S, Thomas SA, Martin JA, Williams J, Woodhouse K, Chandra R, Li JX, Lobo MK, Sim FJ, Dietz DM. EGR3 regulates opioid-related nociception and motivation in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3539-3550. [PMID: 36098762 PMCID: PMC10094589 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06226-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain can be a debilitating condition, leading to profound changes in nearly every aspect of life. However, the reliance on opioids such as oxycodone for pain management is thought to initiate dependence and addiction liability. The neurobiological intersection at which opioids relieve pain and possibly transition to addiction is poorly understood. Using RNA sequencing pathway analysis in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammation, we found that the transcriptional signatures in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC; a brain region where pain and reward signals integrate) elicited by CFA in combination with oxycodone differed from those elicited by CFA or oxycodone alone. However, the expression of Egr3 was augmented in all animals receiving oxycodone. Furthermore, virus-mediated overexpression of EGR3 in the mPFC increased mechanical pain relief but not the affective aspect of pain in animals receiving oxycodone, whereas pharmacological inhibition of EGR3 via NFAT attenuated mechanical pain relief. Egr3 overexpression also increased the motivation to obtain oxycodone infusions in a progressive ratio test without altering the acquisition or maintenance of oxycodone self-administration. Taken together, these data suggest that EGR3 in the mPFC is at the intersection of nociceptive and addictive-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarup Mitra
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, John C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700, 3rd Avenue, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA.
| | - Shruthi A Thomas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Jennifer A Martin
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Jamal Williams
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Kristen Woodhouse
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jun Xu Li
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fraser J Sim
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - David M Dietz
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
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5
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Chang TT, Chang YH, Du SH, Chen PJ, Wang XQ. Non-invasive brain neuromodulation techniques for chronic low back pain. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1032617. [PMID: 36340685 PMCID: PMC9627199 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1032617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural and functional changes of the brain occur in many chronic pain conditions, including chronic low back pain (CLBP), and these brain abnormalities can be reversed by effective treatment. Research on the clinical applications of non-invasive brain neuromodulation (NIBS) techniques for chronic pain is increasing. Unfortunately, little is known about the effectiveness of NIBS on CLBP, which limits its application in clinical pain management. Therefore, we summarized the effectiveness and limitations of NIBS techniques on CLBP management and described the effects and mechanisms of NIBS approaches on CLBP in this review. Overall, NIBS may be effective for the treatment of CLBP. And the analgesic mechanisms of NIBS for CLBP may involve the regulation of pain signal pathway, synaptic plasticity, neuroprotective effect, neuroinflammation modulation, and variations in cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Current NIBS studies for CLBP have limitations, such as small sample size, relative low quality of evidence, and lack of mechanistic studies. Further studies on the effect of NIBS are needed, especially randomized controlled trials with high quality and large sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Tian Chang
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Hao Chang
- Department of Luoyang Postgraduate Training, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Luoyang, China
| | - Shu-Hao Du
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei-Jie Chen
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Pei-Jie Chen,
| | - Xue-Qiang Wang
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Shangti Orthopaedic Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Lab of Human Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Xue-Qiang Wang,
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6
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Chen ZS. Decoding pain from brain activity. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34608868 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac28d4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Pain is a dynamic, complex and multidimensional experience. The identification of pain from brain activity as neural readout may effectively provide a neural code for pain, and further provide useful information for pain diagnosis and treatment. Advances in neuroimaging and large-scale electrophysiology have enabled us to examine neural activity with improved spatial and temporal resolution, providing opportunities to decode pain in humans and freely behaving animals. This topical review provides a systematical overview of state-of-the-art methods for decoding pain from brain signals, with special emphasis on electrophysiological and neuroimaging modalities. We show how pain decoding analyses can help pain diagnosis and discovery of neurobiomarkers for chronic pain. Finally, we discuss the challenges in the research field and point to several important future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States of America
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7
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May ES, Hohn VD, Nickel MM, Tiemann L, Gil Ávila C, Heitmann H, Sauseng P, Ploner M. Modulating Brain Rhythms of Pain Using Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) - A Sham-Controlled Study in Healthy Human Participants. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 22:1256-1272. [PMID: 33845173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.03.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a major health care problem. A better mechanistic understanding and new treatment approaches are urgently needed. In the brain, pain has been associated with neural oscillations at alpha and gamma frequencies, which can be targeted using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Thus, we investigated the potential of tACS to modulate pain and pain-related autonomic activity in an experimental model of chronic pain in 29 healthy participants. In 6 recording sessions, participants completed a tonic heat pain paradigm and simultaneously received tACS over prefrontal or somatosensory cortices at alpha or gamma frequencies or sham tACS. Concurrently, pain ratings and autonomic responses were collected. Using the present setup, tACS did not modulate pain or autonomic responses. Bayesian statistics confirmed a lack of tACS effects in most conditions. The only exception was alpha tACS over somatosensory cortex where evidence was inconclusive. Taken together, we did not find significant tACS effects on tonic experimental pain in healthy humans. Based on our present and previous findings, further studies might apply refined stimulation protocols targeting somatosensory alpha oscillations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was pre-registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03805854). PERSPECTIVE: Modulating brain oscillations is a promising approach for the treatment of pain. We therefore applied transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to modulate experimental pain in healthy participants. However, tACS did not modulate pain, autonomic responses, or EEG oscillations. These findings help to shape future tACS studies for the treatment of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth S May
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Vanessa D Hohn
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz M Nickel
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Tiemann
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Cristina Gil Ávila
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Henrik Heitmann
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany; Center for Interdisciplinary Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Sauseng
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Ploner
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany; Center for Interdisciplinary Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, TUM, Munich, Germany.
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8
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Liu Y, Xu H, Sun G, Vemulapalli B, Jee HJ, Zhang Q, Wang J. Frequency Dependent Electrical Stimulation of PFC and ACC for Acute Pain Treatment in Rats. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2021; 2:728045. [PMID: 35295497 PMCID: PMC8915567 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2021.728045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As pain consists of both sensory and affective components, its management by pharmaceutical agents remains difficult. Alternative forms of neuromodulation, such as electrical stimulation, have been studied in recent years as potential pain treatment options. Although electrical stimulation of the brain has shown promise, more research into stimulation frequency and targets is required to support its clinical applications. Here, we studied the effect that stimulation frequency has on pain modulation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in acute pain models in rats. We found that low-frequency stimulation in the prelimbic region of the PFC (PL-PFC) provides reduction of sensory and affective pain components. Meanwhile, high-frequency stimulation of the ACC, a region involved in processing pain affect, reduces pain aversive behaviors. Our results demonstrate that frequency-dependent neuromodulation of the PFC or ACC has the potential for pain modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaling Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Helen Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Guanghao Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bharat Vemulapalli
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hyun Jung Jee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qiaosheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Qiaosheng Zhang
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Jing Wang
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9
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Zeng F, Zhang Q, Liu Y, Sun G, Li A, Talay RS, Wang J. AMPAkines potentiate the corticostriatal pathway to reduce acute and chronic pain. Mol Brain 2021; 14:45. [PMID: 33653395 PMCID: PMC7923831 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00757-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticostriatal circuit plays an important role in the regulation of reward- and aversion-types of behaviors. Specifically, the projection from the prelimbic cortex (PL) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been shown to regulate sensory and affective aspects of pain in a number of rodent models. Previous studies have shown that enhancement of glutamate signaling through the NAc by AMPAkines, a class of agents that specifically potentiate the function of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, reduces acute and persistent pain. However, it is not known whether postsynaptic potentiation of the NAc with these agents can achieve the full anti-nociceptive effects of PL activation. Here we compared the impact of AMPAkine treatment in the NAc with optogenetic activation of the PL on pain behaviors in rats. We found that not only does AMPAkine treatment partially reconstitute the PL inhibition of sensory withdrawals, it fully occludes the effect of the PL on reducing the aversive component of pain. These results indicate that the NAc is likely one of the key targets for the PL, especially in the regulation of pain aversion. Furthermore, our results lend support for neuromodulation or pharmacological activation of the corticostriatal circuit as an important analgesic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zeng
- Department of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qiaosheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guanghao Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert S Talay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Talay RS, Liu Y, Michael M, Li A, Friesner ID, Zeng F, Sun G, Chen ZS, Zhang Q, Wang J. Pharmacological restoration of anti-nociceptive functions in the prefrontal cortex relieves chronic pain. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 201:102001. [PMID: 33545233 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain affects one in four adults, and effective non-sedating and non-addictive treatments are urgently needed. Chronic pain causes maladaptive changes in the cerebral cortex, which can lead to impaired endogenous nociceptive processing. However, it is not yet clear if drugs that restore endogenous cortical regulation could provide an effective therapeutic strategy for chronic pain. Here, we studied the nociceptive response of neurons in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC) in freely behaving rats using a spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic pain, and the impact of AMPAkines, a class of drugs that increase central glutamate signaling, on such response. We found that neurons in the PL-PFC increase their firing rates in response to noxious stimulations; chronic neuropathic pain, however, suppressed this important cortical pain response. Meanwhile, CX546, a well-known AMPAkine, restored the anti-nociceptive response of PL-PFC neurons in the chronic pain condition. In addition, both systemic administration and direct delivery of CX546 into the PL-PFC inhibited symptoms of chronic pain, whereas optogenetic inactivation of the PFC neurons or administration of AMPA receptor antagonists in the PL-PFC blocked the anti-nociceptive effects of CX546. These results indicate that restoration of the endogenous anti-nociceptive functions in the PL-PFC by pharmacological agents such as AMPAkines constitutes a successful strategy to treat chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Talay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States; Department of Pain, The Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Matthew Michael
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Anna Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Isabel D Friesner
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Fei Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Guanghao Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States; Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Qiaosheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States.
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States; Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, United States.
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11
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Lemme J, Holmes S, Sibai D, Mari J, Simons LE, Burstein R, Zurakowski D, Lebel A, O'Brien M, Upadhyay J, Borsook D. Altered Brain Network Connectivity Underlies Persistent Post-Traumatic Headache following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:1632-1641. [PMID: 33183144 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic headaches (PTHs) are associated with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and may predict the persistence of concussion symptoms. Altered brain networks implicated in brain injury and the affective components of headache-related pain may underlie the resolution of PTH. This is a hypothesis-generating investigation to evaluate the extent to which pain symptom reporting and functional brain changes are different in a cohort of young mTBI patients with resolved (PTH-R) and persistent (PTH-P) post-traumatic headache symptoms relative to healthy controls. This was a cross-sectional investigation involving 59 participants between the ages of 12-24 (PTH-P, n = 21; PTH-R, n = 18; healthy control, n = 20). Participants had no significant history of pre-existing headaches, chronic pain, or psychiatric neurological conditions. The primary outcome was resting-state functional connectivity (RS-Fc) alterations between cohorts. Secondary outcomes were self-reported pain-related symptoms. Elevated scores were reported for fear of pain in both PTH cohorts. Using a false discovery rate of p = 0.05, the PTH-P cohort showed altered connectivity relative to healthy controls in brain regions such as the frontal, temporal, and cerebellar regions, as well as sub-cortical regions including the amygdala and accumbens. The PTH-R cohort showed altered RS-Fc between cerebellar and temporal lobe sub-regions. Our results indicate that a core network of brain regions implicated in the affective pain response are functionally altered in PTH cohorts. Results should be interpreted given limitations on sample size and multiple comparisons. Despite the resolution of symptoms, persons who experience PTH may experience ongoing functional brain abnormalities, which may underlie symptom chronification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Lemme
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott Holmes
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diana Sibai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joud Mari
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura E Simons
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Rami Burstein
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Zurakowski
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alyssa Lebel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael O'Brien
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaymin Upadhyay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Borsook
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Cheriyan J, Sheets PL. Peripheral nerve injury reduces the excitation-inhibition balance of basolateral amygdala inputs to prelimbic pyramidal neurons projecting to the periaqueductal gray. Mol Brain 2020; 13:100. [PMID: 32600466 PMCID: PMC7325111 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00638-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying how chronic pain induces maladaptive alterations to local circuits in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while emerging, remain unresolved. Consistent evidence shows that chronic pain attenuates activity in the prelimbic (PL) cortex, a mPFC subregion. This reduced activity is thought to be driven by increased inhibitory tone within PL circuits. Enhanced input from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to inhibitory neurons in PL cortex is one well-received mechanism for this circuit change. In mice, we used retrograde labeling, brain slice recordings, and optogenetics to selectively stimulate and record ascending BLA inputs onto PL neurons that send projections to the periaqueductal gray (PAG), which is a midbrain structure that plays a significant role in endogenous analgesia. Activating BLA projections evoked both excitatory and inhibitory currents in cortico-PAG (CP) neurons, as we have shown previously. We measured changes to the ratio of BLA-evoked excitatory to inhibitory currents in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain. Our analysis reveals a reduced excitation-inhibition (E/I) ratio of BLA inputs to PL-CP neurons 7 days after SNI. The E/I ratio of BLA inputs to CP neurons in neighboring infralimbic (IL) cortex was unchanged in SNI animals. Collectively, this study reveals that the overall E/I balance of BLA inputs to PL neurons projecting to the PAG is reduced in a robust neuropathic pain model. Overall, our findings provide new mechanistic insight into how nerve injury produces dysfunction in PL circuits connected to structures involved in pain modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Cheriyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,present address: Indiana Center for Biomedical Innovation and Department of Anesthesia, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Building 400 D, 320 West 15th St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Patrick L Sheets
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indianapolis, IN, USA. .,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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13
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Kummer KK, Mitrić M, Kalpachidou T, Kress M. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex as a Central Hub for Mental Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3440. [PMID: 32414089 PMCID: PMC7279227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients frequently develop and suffer from mental comorbidities such as depressive mood, impaired cognition, and other significant constraints of daily life, which can only insufficiently be overcome by medication. The emotional and cognitive components of pain are processed by the medial prefrontal cortex, which comprises the anterior cingulate cortex, the prelimbic, and the infralimbic cortex. All three subregions are significantly affected by chronic pain: magnetic resonance imaging has revealed gray matter loss in all these areas in chronic pain conditions. While the anterior cingulate cortex appears hyperactive, prelimbic, and infralimbic regions show reduced activity. The medial prefrontal cortex receives ascending, nociceptive input, but also exerts important top-down control of pain sensation: its projections are the main cortical input of the periaqueductal gray, which is part of the descending inhibitory pain control system at the spinal level. A multitude of neurotransmitter systems contributes to the fine-tuning of the local circuitry, of which cholinergic and GABAergic signaling are particularly emerging as relevant components of affective pain processing within the prefrontal cortex. Accordingly, factors such as distraction, positive mood, and anticipation of pain relief such as placebo can ameliorate pain by affecting mPFC function, making this cortical area a promising target region for medical as well as psychosocial interventions for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (K.K.K.); (M.M.); (T.K.)
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