Pain-related disorders cause an incalculable toll in human suffering and present a significant economic problem. The development of new treatments for these disorders is hindered by a lack of information about the basic neural mechanisms that process pain-related information. To date, investigations of the dynamic activation of mechanisms that facilitate pain have provided substantial insights into the neurophysiology and neuropharmacology of chronic pain. However, understanding of the dynamic response properties of inhibitory mechanisms has remained limited, despite the fact that disruption of inhibition may also contribute substantially to chronic pain. A recently identified analgesic phenomenon, offset analgesia, provides a powerful tool for the study of dynamic activation of inhibitory mechanisms. A series of psychophysical studies in humans subjects will systematically delineate the neurophysiological and neuropharmacological mechanisms that initiate and maintain offset analgesia during acute pain states, and determine the contribution of disrupted offset analgesia to pathophysiological pain states. Together, these studies will significantly enhance our knowledge of basic neural mechanisms underlying pain and will provide a foundation for the development of novel treatments for pain.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA020168-04
Application #
7456616
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IFCN-K (02))
Program Officer
Lin, Yu
Project Start
2005-08-05
Project End
2010-12-30
Budget Start
2009-07-01
Budget End
2010-12-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$333,356
Indirect Cost
Name
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
937727907
City
Winston-Salem
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27157
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