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Amygdala-prefrontal pathways and the dopamine system affect nociceptive responses in the prefrontal cortex
Kitaro Onozawa1, Yuki Yagasaki, Yumi Izawa
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tokyo Women’s MedicalUniversity Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, 116-8567, Japan.
BMC Neuroscience
|November 17, 2011
Summary
High-frequency stimulation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) suppresses nociceptive responses in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Dopamine (DA) modulates this BLA-PFC pathway, influencing pain perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Neuroplasticity
Background:
- Nociceptive responses in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are linked to the affective dimension of pain.
- The PFC receives projections from the limbic system, including the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA).
- BLA projections to the PFC are known to induce long-lasting synaptic plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the BLA on nociceptive responses in the rat PFC.
- To elucidate the role of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in BLA-PFC pathway-mediated nociception.
- To examine the modulatory effects of dopamine (DA) on this pathway.
Main Methods:
- High-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in rats.
- Microinjections of NMDA and mGluR antagonists into the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
- Dopamine depletion using 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and administration of DA receptor antagonists (D2 and D4) in the PFC.
Main Results:
- HFS of the BLA induced long-lasting suppression (LLS) of nociceptive responses in the PFC.
- NMDA and mGluR antagonists prevented the induction of LLS.
- Dopamine depletion or antagonism of D2/D4 receptors inhibited the BLA-induced LLS of nociceptive responses.
Conclusions:
- BLA-PFC pathways inhibit nociceptive cell activity in the PFC.
- The dopamine system modulates the regulatory function of the BLA-PFC pathway in pain processing.
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