Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 3, 2025

The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice
Published on: July 16, 2014
Neural Plasticity in the Brain during Neuropathic Pain
Myeong Seong Bak1, Haney Park1, Sun Kwang Kim1,2
1Department of Science in Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea.
Abstract:
Neuropathic pain is an intractable chronic pain, caused by damage to the somatosensory nervous system. To date, treatment for neuropathic pain has limited effects. For the development of efficient therapeutic methods, it is essential to fully understand the pathological mechanisms of neuropathic pain. Besides abnormal sensitization in the periphery and spinal cord, accumulating evidence suggests that neural plasticity in the brain is also critical for the development and maintenance of this pain. Recent technological advances in the measurement and manipulation of neuronal activity allow us to understand maladaptive plastic changes in the brain during neuropathic pain more precisely and modulate brain activity to reverse pain states at the preclinical and clinical levels. In this review paper, we discuss the current understanding of pathological neural plasticity in the four pain-related brain areas: the primary somatosensory cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the periaqueductal gray, and the basal ganglia. We also discuss potential treatments for neuropathic pain based on the modulation of neural plasticity in these brain areas.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Neuroplasticity
Nociception
Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue
Pain
Analgesia and Pain Management
Long-term Potentiation

