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A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies
Published on: February 9, 2024
882
The development of the nociceptive brain
Madeleine Verriotis1, Pishan Chang1, Maria Fitzgerald1
1Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
Neuroscience
|July 27, 2016
Summary
Infants experience pain from birth, but how the brain develops this pain processing remains unclear. This review explores the infant brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pain Research
Background:
- The development of nociceptive cortical network activity in infants is not well understood.
- Unlike other sensory systems, the pain system in healthy individuals does not rely on prolonged activity-dependent shaping.
- Understanding pain experience from birth is crucial for infant health and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the fundamental question of how pain is first experienced in early life.
- To examine the structural and functional development of infant brain networks involved in pain processing.
- To synthesize current knowledge on nociceptive processing in the infant brain.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on infant brain connectome development.
- Analysis of neurophysiological and hemodynamic measures of nociceptive processing in infants.
- Consideration of evidence from laboratory animal models.
Main Results:
- The infant brain exhibits activity in response to tissue-damaging stimulation from birth.
- Structural and functional development of cortical and subcortical networks are necessary for pain experience.
- Neurophysiological and hemodynamic data on infant pain processing show inconsistencies.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to fully understand the development of pain processing in infants.
- Laboratory animal models can significantly enhance our understanding of infant pain perception.
- The developing brain connectome is a critical, though not sole, determinant of pain experience.
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