Rewiring of Developing Spinal Nociceptive Circuits by Neonatal Injury and Its Implications for Pediatric Chronic Pain
Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
Academic Editor: Carl L. von Baeyer
Children 2016, 3(3), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/children3030016
Received: 8 August 2016 / Revised: 9 September 2016 / Accepted: 16 September 2016 / Published: 20 September 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chronic and Recurrent Pain)
Significant evidence now suggests that neonatal tissue damage can evoke long-lasting changes in pain sensitivity, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of how injuries during a critical period of early life modulate the functional organization of synaptic networks in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) of the spinal cord in a manner that favors the excessive amplification of ascending nociceptive signaling to the brain, which likely contributes to the generation and/or maintenance of pediatric chronic pain. These persistent alterations in synaptic function within the SDH may also contribute to the well-documented “priming” of developing pain pathways by neonatal tissue injury.
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Keywords:
pain; neonate; spinal cord; dorsal horn; synapse; glutamate; GABA; glycine; incision; rodent
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MDPI and ACS Style
Baccei, M.L. Rewiring of Developing Spinal Nociceptive Circuits by Neonatal Injury and Its Implications for Pediatric Chronic Pain. Children 2016, 3, 16.
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