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Brain Sciences
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Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain
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Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 19113

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Catherine S. Hubbard

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
Interests: pain; nociception; analgesia; visceral pain; neuropathic pain; stress; neuromodulation; rodent models; neuroimaging; electrophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pain is a complex, multidimensional sensory experience critical to our survival—protecting us from harm by alerting us of impending trauma or bodily injury. Although acute pain is adaptive in nature, pathological pain resulting from disease or injury is maladaptive in the long-term, when it becomes a chronic state. Both types of pain can be debilitating, negatively affecting millions of individuals worldwide, leading to impaired daily function and decreasing overall quality of life. Recent advances in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain has lifted this burden to some degree, with the development of novel pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options, including analgesic substances, such as COX-2 and TNF-α inhibitors, as well as non-traditional therapeutic interventions for pain alleviation, such as neuromodulatory stimulation techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acupuncture. However, the neurobiological mechanisms mediating these effects in the periphery and centrally, within the brain and spinal cord, are still a matter under intense investigation. The present call for papers invites contributions of original research and reviews to this Special Issue of Brain Sciences entitled “Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain”, the scope of which encompasses research germane to the advancement of our understanding of the neurobiology underlying pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to pain relief for both acute and chronic, pathological pain states.

Dr. Catherine S. Hubbard
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • pain
  • nociception
  • postoperative pain
  • neuropathic pain
  • pain management
  • analgesia
  • adjuvants
  • multimodal analgesia
  • pharmocotherapies
  • nonpharmacologic therapies
  • opioids
  • nonopioid analgesics
  • neuromodulation
  • signaling pathways
  • neurobiology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2762 KiB  
Article
Electrical Stimulation of C6 Glia-Precursor Cells In Vitro Differentially Modulates Gene Expression Related to Chronic Pain Pathways
by Ricardo Vallejo, David C. Platt, Jonathan A. Rink, Marjorie A. Jones, Courtney A. Kelley, Ashim Gupta, Cynthia L. Cass, Kirk Eichenberg, Alejandro Vallejo, William J. Smith, Ramsin Benyamin and David L. Cedeño
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(11), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9110303 - 31 Oct 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3081
Abstract
Glial cells comprise the majority of cells in the central nervous system and exhibit diverse functions including the development of persistent neuropathic pain. While earlier theories have proposed that the applied electric field specifically affects neurons, it has been demonstrated that electrical stimulation [...] Read more.
Glial cells comprise the majority of cells in the central nervous system and exhibit diverse functions including the development of persistent neuropathic pain. While earlier theories have proposed that the applied electric field specifically affects neurons, it has been demonstrated that electrical stimulation (ES) of neural tissue modulates gene expression of the glial cells. This study examines the effect of ES on the expression of eight genes related to oxidative stress and neuroprotection in cultured rodent glioma cells. Concentric bipolar electrodes under seven different ES types were used to stimulate cells for 30 min in the presence and absence of extracellular glutamate. ES consisted of rectangular pulses at 50 Hz in varying proportions of anodic and cathodic phases. Real-time reverse-transcribed quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine gene expression using the ∆∆Cq method. The results demonstrate that glutamate has a significant effect on gene expression in both stimulated and non-stimulated groups. Furthermore, stimulation parameters have differential effects on gene expression, both in the presence and absence of glutamate. ES has an effect on glial cell gene expression that is dependent on waveform composition. Optimization of ES therapy for chronic pain applications can be enhanced by this understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain)
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16 pages, 1107 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Postnatal Sedation in Full-Term Infants
by Jean Carmela Solodiuk, Russell William Jennings and Dusica Bajic
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(5), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9050114 - 17 May 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5373
Abstract
Prolonged sedation in infants leads to a high incidence of physical dependence. We inquired: (1) “How long does it take to develop physical dependence to sedation in previously naïve full-term infants without known history of neurologic impairment?” and (2) “What is the relationship [...] Read more.
Prolonged sedation in infants leads to a high incidence of physical dependence. We inquired: (1) “How long does it take to develop physical dependence to sedation in previously naïve full-term infants without known history of neurologic impairment?” and (2) “What is the relationship between length of sedation to length of weaning and hospital stay?”. The retrospective study included full-term patients over a period of one year that were <1 year of age and received opioids and benzodiazepines >72 hours. Quantification of fentanyl, morphine, and midazolam were compared among three time periods: <5 days, 5–30 days, and >30 days using t-test or one-way analysis of variance. Identified full-term infants were categorized into surgical (14/44) or medical (10/44) groups, while those with neurological involvement (20/44) were excluded. Physical dependence in full-term infants occurred following sedation ≥5 days. Infants with surgical disease received escalating doses of morphine and midazolam when administered >30 days. A positive association between length of sedation and weaning period was found for both respiratory (p < 0.01) and surgical disease (p = 0.012) groups, while length of sedation is related to hospital stay for the respiratory (p < 0.01) but not the surgical disease group (p = 0.1). Future pharmacological directions should lead to standardized sedation protocols and evaluate patient neurocognitive outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain)
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Review

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18 pages, 272 KiB  
Review
C-Fiber Assays in the Cornea vs. Skin
by Eric A. Moulton and David Borsook
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(11), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9110320 - 12 Nov 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4305
Abstract
C-fibers are unmyelinated nerve fibers that transmit high threshold mechanical, thermal, and chemical signals that are associated with pain sensations. This review examines current literature on measuring altered peripheral nerve morphology and discusses the most relevant aspects of corneal microscopy, especially whether corneal [...] Read more.
C-fibers are unmyelinated nerve fibers that transmit high threshold mechanical, thermal, and chemical signals that are associated with pain sensations. This review examines current literature on measuring altered peripheral nerve morphology and discusses the most relevant aspects of corneal microscopy, especially whether corneal imaging presents significant method advantages over skin biopsy. Given its relative merits, corneal confocal microscopy would seem to be a more practical and patient-centric approach than utilizing skin biopsies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain)
8 pages, 351 KiB  
Review
Potential Application of Optogenetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Pain and Migraine Headache: A Perspective from Animal Studies
by Sufang Liu, Yuanyuan Tang, Ying Xing, Phillip Kramer, Larry Bellinger and Feng Tao
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9020026 - 29 Jan 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5860
Abstract
Optogenetic manipulation is uniquely useful in unraveling the functional organization of neuronal circuits in the central nervous system by enabling reversible gain- or loss-of-function of discrete populations of neurons within restricted brain regions. This state-of-the-art technology can produce circuit-specific neuromodulation by overexpressing light-sensitive [...] Read more.
Optogenetic manipulation is uniquely useful in unraveling the functional organization of neuronal circuits in the central nervous system by enabling reversible gain- or loss-of-function of discrete populations of neurons within restricted brain regions. This state-of-the-art technology can produce circuit-specific neuromodulation by overexpressing light-sensitive proteins (opsins) in particular cell types of interest. Here, we discuss the principle of optogenetic manipulation and its application in pain research using animal models, and we also discuss how to potentially use optogenetic stimulation in the treatment of migraine headache in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Underlying Alleviation of Pain)
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