Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Burn Injury-Induced Pain and Depression-Like Behavior in Mice
Published on: September 29, 2021
What are the psychiatric sequelae of burn pain?
Shelley Wiechman Askay1, David R Patterson
1University of Washington/Harborview Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, 325 Ninth Avenue, Box 359740, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. wiechman@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
Burn injuries and their subsequent treatment cause one of the most excruciating forms of pain imaginable. Practitioners in the field have been concerned about the suboptimal management of acute pain in this population. Recent studies have shown that greater levels of acute pain are associated with negative long-term psychologic effects such as depression, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder for as long as 2 years after the initial burn injury. Research in other non-burn trauma populations has also pointed to the potential for unmanaged acute pain to delay wound healing and lead to other medical complications, such as infection and extended hospitalization period. The concept of allostatic load is presented as a potential explanation for the relationship between acute pain and subsequent psychologic and physiologic outcomes. A biopsychosocial model is also presented as a means of obtaining better inpatient pain management and helping to mediate this relationship.
Related Concept Videos
Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
Healing II: Complications
Pain
Nociception

