Studies in the Area of Chronic Pain Reported from Des Moines University (Novel Hippocampal Genes Involved In Enhanced Susceptibility To Chronic Pain-induced Behavioral Emotionality).

A recent study conducted at Des Moines University in Iowa aimed to identify the genes and cellular mechanisms that contribute to the development of depressive-like behaviors in individuals with chronic pain. The researchers analyzed the transcriptomic profile of the hippocampus, a brain region involved in mood regulation, in male rats exposed to chronic inflammatory pain. They found dysregulation of genes related to neuro-inflammation, cell cycle/neurogenesis, and blood-brain barrier integrity in animals that exhibited increased behavioral emotionality. These findings suggest a connection between dysregulation of hippocampal genes and the emotional symptoms often experienced by individuals with chronic pain. [Extracted from the article]