V-103 | Study of the circuits underlying chronic pain and its affective-motivational component

Neural Circuits and Systems Neuroscience
Author: Lesly Spring Valdivia Torres | Email: springvaldivia@gmail.com

SPRING VALDIVIA^1°, MARIO PERELLO^2°,GUADALUPE GARCIA ROMERO^2°, FERNANDO KASANETZ^1°

^1° IFIBIO -HOUSSAY
^2° IMBICE

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent health issues in modern times. It can often be associated with mood disorders, anxiety, pathological eating patterns, among others, and its symptomatology can even surpass sensory discomfort. Although these comorbidities are clinically well established, the neural mechanisms linking persistent pain with the aforementioned disorders have not been clarified.
The perception of pain results from a combination of multiple complex neural interactions that encode the valence of stimuli (appetitive or aversive). The mesolimbic system, the amygdala, and a novel nociceptive inhibitory efferent pathway from central amygdala (CeA) to the ZI are presented as possible candidates for mediating the emotional disorders evoked by chronic pain.
Our general working hypothesis is that the CeA-ZI circuit could be key, not only for the development and maintenance of chronic pain, but also for the manifestation of anxiety, mood disorders, and associated pathological eating patterns. To this end, we will use a neuropathic pain model in mice induced by partial sciatic nerve axotomy along with behavioral studies, aiming to elucidate the pathophysiological changes that occur during chronic pain and its affective-motivational component.