Brain Uses Serotonin to Perpetuate Chronic Pain Signals

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland have reported in a recent study that two molecules have been pinpointed in perpetuating chronic pain in mice. The research suggests that persistent pain doesn’t always originate in the brain, which is important information for developing less addictive drugs to treat it. In the study, scientists focused on a system of pain-sensing nerves within the faces of mice, known collectively as the trigeminal nerve — a large bundle of tens of thousands of nerve cells. Knowing from previous studies that the TRPV1 protein is need to activate pain-sensing nerve cells, the researchers looked at its activity in the trigeminal nerve cell and into the spinal cord. Aware that serotonin is involved in chronic pain, its role was investigated in relation to TRPV1. Results showed that when serotonin is released by the brain into the spinal cord, it acts on the trigeminal nerve at large, causing TRPV1 to become hyperactive, which results in additional pain signals sent to the brain. To read more about the results of this study, click here.