Elucidation of atmospheric pressure sensing system in weather sensitive desease -Animal and clinical experiments

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08206
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Aichi Medical University (2016-2018); Nagoya University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: SATO JUN 愛知医科大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 客員教授 (00235350)
• Research Collaborator: Inagaki Hideaki ; Kusui Mayu ; Toda Mayumi
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 気象病 / 気圧 / 疼痛 / 内耳 / 自律神経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Clinical experiment: Lowering barometric pressure (40hPa under atmospheric pressure) induced aggravation of pain, excitation of sympathetic activity, and increase of ear temperature in subjects with weather-sensitive pain. We interviewed 53 out patients with weather-sensitive pain from March 2015 to June 2018. The outpatients had many women. In addition, although scores of anxiety and depression were not so high, but both pain and catastrophizing scales tended to be high.
Animal experiment: Lowering barometric pressure (40hPa under atmospheric pressure) significantly increased c-fos-positive cell counts (i.e., neuronal excitement) in the superior vestibular nucleus of wild mice. This suggested that atmospheric pressure sensing system locates in the semicircular canals or otolith.

Free Research Field

疼痛医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

実験結果から、天気の崩れによって前庭器官が気圧の微妙な変化を感じとり、脳にその情報が伝わり、結果として古傷や持病の痛みを呼び覚ましたり、めまいや気分の落ち込みといった不調を起こすというメカニズムが想定される．また，これまで平衡感覚のみを感じていると考えられてきた内耳の前庭器官に気圧の変化を感じる能力があることが示唆された．今回の研究成果により，これまで不明とされてきた気圧の変化によって起こる気象病や天気痛の共通メカニズムが明らかとなったことから，これらの疾患の有効な治療法の確立に繋がるものと期待される。