A study of abnormal orofacial pain and neuron-glia interactions in the central nervous system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592764
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphological basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: TERAYAMA RYUJI 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 准教授 (60333689)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUGIMOTO Tomosada 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 教授 (50135729)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 痛覚異常 / 神経損傷 / 収斂投射 / ミクログリア / 三叉神経知覚核群 / 脊髄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, involvement of neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system in abnormal orofacial pain sensations after peripheral nerve injury was investigated. Differential changes in neuronal excitability in the brainstem were observed after trigeminal nerve injury. Established an objective method for assessing intraoral pain, I found that injury to the peripheral nerve exaggerated the behavioral responses and that convergent primary nociceptive input through neighboring intact nerves may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain following trigeminal nerve injury. Furthermore, I confirmed the relationship between abnormal pain sensations and the convergence in the spinal cord following injury to the nerve innervating the hindpaw and found that microglial activation following peripheral nerve injury plays an important role in the anomalous convergence of nociceptive signals to spinal dorsal horn neurons and the development of neuropathic pain.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学