Neurobiological mechanisms involved in chronic pain

Chronic pain is currently a major clinical issue that represents huge economic and social burdens. Chronic pain treatment currently available presents limited efficacy and significant side effects. One of the reasons for this lack of effective therapeutic approaches is the insufficient knowledge of...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Negrete Buela, Roger
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/481991
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/481991
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Chronic pain
Opioids
Dynorphin/KOR system
Emotion
Cognition
Nociception
Dolor crònic
Ansietat
Memòria
616.8
Descripción
Sumario:Chronic pain is currently a major clinical issue that represents huge economic and social burdens. Chronic pain treatment currently available presents limited efficacy and significant side effects. One of the reasons for this lack of effective therapeutic approaches is the insufficient knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of chronic pain and pain-related comorbidities, such as emotional and cognitive manifestations. These associated symptoms negatively affect the life quality of the patients. In our study, we have first validated the different outcomes to measure the nociceptive, emotional and cognitive components of chronic neuropathic pain in mice, and the effects of repeated treatment with pregabalin on these manifestations. We have then identified the influence of different personality traits in the individual variability to chronic neuropathic pain perception in mice, and the emotional and cognitive manifestations associated to this chronic pain using different behavioural, electrophysiological and genetic techniques. The opioid system is a crucial therapeutic target for the treatment of chronic pain, despite the multiple side effects associated to opioid compounds. Thus, we have evaluated the involvement of specific components of the endogenous opioid system in the behavioural, emotional, cognitive, neurochemical and epigenetic manifestations of chronic osteoarthritis pain in mice. We have identified the endogenous dynorphin /  opioid receptor system as an interesting pharmacological target for the treatment of the different manifestations of chronic pain.