Coexistence of chronic hyperalgesia and multilevel neuroinflammatory responses after experimental SCI: a systematic approach to profiling neuropathic pain

This study explores the relationship between neuropathic pain (NP) and neuroinflammation (NIF) after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The researchers hypothesized that NIF might drive SCI-related NP. The study found that rats with SCI experienced long-term pain and hypersensitivity, alongside inflammation in various brain regions linked to sensory processing and pain modulation. These findings suggest that inflammation in the central nervous system could be a key factor in the development of chronic pain following spinal cord injury.

• 1
  SCI resulted in impaired sensorimotor functions, altered reflexes, and hypersensitivity to painful stimuli.
• 2
  Injured spinal cords exhibited neural lesions, activation of microglia/astrocytes, and abnormal expression of proinflammatory cytokines.
• 3
  SCI augmented sensory neurotransmission/neuroplasticity in sensory relay nuclei and perturbed neurogenesis in the hippocampus.