Discovery of ‘Mini-Brains’ Could Change Understanding of Pain Medication

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http://neurosciencenews.com/pain-mini-brain-6370/

Researchers found after a 5 year study that the peripheral nervous system has a role in pain sensation and analysis; a process previously thought to be exclusive to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).  The study found that ganglia, previously thought of just energy supply for messages being sent to the CNS, act as “mini-brains” in modifying the amount of information that is sent to the CNS. This research was conducted with rats, and poses a ground-breaking starting point for research on pain medications. Normally pain medications target the CNS, which has a great risk for addiction and other significant side effects, the research presented here opens up the PNS as a route for pain regulation that could avoid any type of addictive side effect, as well as becoming safer to take higher doses for more efficacy.
                This research applies to course content in numerous ways. We discussed addiction and the negative effects pain medications can have on individuals, how pain is a relatively misunderstood process in humans, and the divisions between the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peripheral nervous system is broken down further to the somatic and autonomic systems. It is interesting to me that only now is research being conducted on the PNS’s role in pain, because the system is so large- connecting motor and sensory neurons that relay information to the CNS. Further research is definitely required in this area, and researchers note that even if clinical human trials were in the future, that it would be about 15-20 years before a successful drug could be produced to target the PNS.      

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 2, 2017 at 1:50 AM

    Great article. I think it's painfully obvious we need another approach to treating pain in people. I agree with the author that targeting the PNS in pain treatment would put the patient at much lower risk for developing an addiction, especially since all the structures related to addiction that we learned were parts of the CNS. And of course the discovery of mini-anythings is both adorable and exciting.

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