Molecular signatures of maladaptive plasticity in the amygdala in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain condition that results from damage or dysfunction in the nervous system. While mechanisms of neuropathic pain at the peripheral and spinal cord level have been extensively studied, pain mechanisms in the brain remain underexplored.

The amygdala, a limbic brain region, has emerged as a critical brain area for the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Amygdala neuroplasticity has been associated with pain states, but exact molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these states and the transition from acute to chronic pain are not well understood.We used an integrative approach that focuses on functional significance and cell type specificity of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to nominate mechanistic targets for central regulation of chronic pain.