Pain Mechanisms and Treatments

Neuropathic pain arises when damage or disease alters the nervous system itself, causing the brain and spinal cord to amplify or distort pain signals long after any original injury has resolved — a process called central sensitization. Researchers study how neurons and glial cells interact during this process, particularly how inflammatory signaling and structural rewiring of neural circuits sustain chronic pain states like diabetic neuropathy. A central challenge is understanding why some patients develop persistent pain while others do not, and how to intervene without disrupting the normal protective functions of the pain system. Current work is focused on identifying specific molecular targets within these pathways — including glial receptors and neuroinflammatory mediators — that could be addressed by treatments more precise than the opioids and anticonvulsants that remain the clinical standard.

Works

106,743

Total citations

3,028,822

Keywords

Neuropathic PainCentral SensitizationNociceptionNeuroinflammationPain ModulationGlial Activation