The Physiology of Chronic Pain The Role of the Inhibitory Interneuron – MM1401
As described in the original article in May 2013, central sensitisation of the dorsal horn cells with facilitated pain processing and transmission can occur after nerve injury, deafferentation of the spinal cord (amputation or nerve section) or due to afferent barrage.
As a result, anatomical and neuro-chemical changes can occur within the central nervous system (CNS) that can persist long after the injury has healed.
This ‘CNS plasticity’ may play an important role in the evolution of chronic, neuropathic pain. The sensitisation of neurons that occurs within the dorsal horn results in spontaneous activity of the dorsal horn neurons, a decreased threshold and an increased responsivity to afferent input, and cell death in the spinal dorsal horn. The cells that die are the inhibitory interneurons.
Modern Medicine – January 2014
