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“extinguish” the pain with the neurons of the tonsil

THE ESSENTIAL

  • Scientists ask about loc
  • Scientists question location of pain control zone
  • In rodent research, a subgroup of tonsil neurons has been identified as possibly being this central area

“Many people think there is a central area for pain relief,” said Fan Wang, neurobiologist, “which is why placebos work.” The scientific community is wondering about the location of this place. Professor Wang’s team may have found the answer. According to the results of their research, published in Nature Neuroscience, it could be the amygdala, an area of ​​the brain related to emotions, including fear and anxiety.

The role of CeAga

“Most of the previous studies have focused on the regions that are activated by the pain, emphasizes the researcher. But there are so many zones responsible for the pain, that it would be necessary to deactivate them all to stop it. While this place can delete it on its own. ” To understand the role of the amygdala, Fan Wang and his team analyzed the effects of general anesthesia on neurons. They found that it activates a subgroup of inhibitory neurons located in the amygdala, called the CeAga neurons. These are linked to several other areas of the brain. By artificially stimulating pain in mice, they were able to create a map of the areas connected to the CeAga neurons.

Immediate action

“Pain is a complex brain response,” said Fan Wang. “It involves sensory, emotional, and automatic responses from the nervous system.” Optogenetics, a technique that works on neurons with light, has allowed them to prevent these brain responses in mice. By activating the CeAga neurons, the mice notably stopped licking their legs or wiping their heads. “It’s radical, insists the researcher, they instantly stopped doing it!”

A new painkiller?

The researchers also found that these neurons were essential in the action of painkillers. Low-dose ketamine, used as a painkiller, stimulates them, conversely, if they are inactivated, its effectiveness is zero. Now, Fan Wang’s team wants to continue their investigations to develop a treatment capable of activating only ceAga neurons, and thus offer a new type of painkiller.

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