The effect of psychological stress on endogenous pain modulatory syetems.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06817
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Mana Hasegawa 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 医員 (90779620)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 痛み / ストレス / 顎関節症 / RVM / ニューロン / ラット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is well documented that psychological stress is a risk factor for chronic pain and this is the case for chronic orofacial pain conditions like TMD. The basis for chronic stress-induced pain is not fully understood, but evidence indicated that changes in neural activity in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), a critical area for descending pain controls to regulate nociception, could contribute to induce orofacial pain. We have determined the neural properties in the RVM. Our results revealed that 1) three types of neurons, so-called, On-, Off- and Neutral-cells were identified in the RVM, 2) psychophysical stress significantly altered excitability of On-cell in response to noxious stimulation to the facial skin. These findings supported our hypothesis that increases in orofacial pain under chronic stress conditions could be due to the neural plasticity in the RVM.

Free Research Field

神経生理学