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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
Published on: October 3, 2020
Factors that influence the persistence of stimulation-induced aversion
M Diotte1, C Bielajew, M Miguelez
1School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier Street, P.O. Box 450, Station A, K1N 6N5, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Rewarding brain stimulation of the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus effectively suppresses pain responses. This brain stimulation method rapidly reduces aversion from nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (Gi) and dorsal tegmentum (DTg) stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Brain stimulation reward in specific regions can induce analgesia.
- The dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus is implicated in pain modulation.
- Electrical stimulation of the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (Gi) and dorsal tegmentum (DTg) can induce aversive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how electrical self-stimulation of the DR nucleus affects aversive responses to Gi and DTg stimulation.
- To determine if DR stimulation can produce analgesia by modifying aversion thresholds.
Main Methods:
- Tracking the threshold for latency to escape aversive Gi stimulation before and after DR self-stimulation.
- Observing the effects of DR self-stimulation on aversion induced by DTg stimulation.
- Comparing the efficacy of unpaired DR stimulation with previous paired stimulation methods (LH, VTA).
Main Results:
- A few sessions of DR self-stimulation led to complete and long-lasting inhibition of Gi aversion.
- Aversion induced by DTg stimulation rapidly disappeared after brief DR stimulation exposure.
- DR stimulation suppressed Gi aversion without pairing, unlike previous findings with LH or VTA stimulation.
- DTg-induced aversion was transient and no longer evident within a few sessions.
Conclusions:
- Electrical self-stimulation of the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus effectively suppresses aversion and produces analgesia.
- Aversion mechanisms in the Gi and DTg are differentially susceptible to analgesic processes induced by DR stimulation.
- Brief, unpaired DR stimulation is sufficient to suppress Gi-induced aversion, highlighting its potent analgesic effects.
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