| Budget Amount *help |
¥17,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥8,320,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,920,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The ectopic/widespread sensitization is a frequent but underdiagnosed hallmark symptom of chronic pain. To understand the role of the central plastic changes in the expression of widespread sensitization, we analyzed the role of the central amygdala (CeA) of rats. We found an orofacial inflammation with formalin injection resulted in robust and long-lasting (> 12 days) mechanical sensitization in the bilateral hindlimb. This remote/ectopic sensitization was attenuated by chemogenetic inhibition of the right CeA neurons. Furthermore, chemogenetic excitation of the right CeA neurons caused de novo sensitization in the bilateral hindlimbs of rats without injury or inflammation. These results demonstrated that widespread sensitization/pain would result from activation of the right CeA network that controls the tactile sensitivity in situations where the protection/vigilance level against aversive events should be elevated, providing support for the pro-survival function of the amygdala.
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