Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: revision of an old transmitter
- Part I The neurobiology of norepinephrine
- Part II Norepinephrine and behavior
- Part III The biology of norepinephrine in CNS pathology
- 10 Animal models of psychopathology: focus on norepinephrine
- 11 Neuropathology of central norepinephrine in psychiatric disorders: postmortem research
- 12 Norepinephrine in mood disorders
- 13 Noradrenergic pathology and pain
- 14 Norepinephrine and cognitive disorders
- 15 Norepinephrine in neurological disorders
- 16 Genetics of noradrenergic neurobiology
- Part IV Psychopharmacology of norepinephrine
- Index
13 - Noradrenergic pathology and pain
from Part III - The biology of norepinephrine in CNS pathology
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: revision of an old transmitter
- Part I The neurobiology of norepinephrine
- Part II Norepinephrine and behavior
- Part III The biology of norepinephrine in CNS pathology
- 10 Animal models of psychopathology: focus on norepinephrine
- 11 Neuropathology of central norepinephrine in psychiatric disorders: postmortem research
- 12 Norepinephrine in mood disorders
- 13 Noradrenergic pathology and pain
- 14 Norepinephrine and cognitive disorders
- 15 Norepinephrine in neurological disorders
- 16 Genetics of noradrenergic neurobiology
- Part IV Psychopharmacology of norepinephrine
- Index
Summary
Introduction
As early as a century ago, Weber showed that adrenaline applied to the spinal cord of the cat attenuates a thermally evoked withdrawal response. A more extensive study of mechanisms underlying norepinephrine-induced pain suppression did not really start until the 1970s, following the development of several novel adrenergic compounds with a potential for clinical use. The role of various aspects of adrenergic mechanisms in pain control has been reviewed previously by a number of authors. This chapter attempts to present what is currently known on pain modulatory actions of norepinephrine at various levels of the nervous system in physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Peripheral mechanisms of noradrenergic pain modulation
Peripheral norepinephrine has only a minor role in modulation of pain in physiological conditions. Administration of norepinephrine in the skin of healthy subjects does not evoke pain, although it may induce a selective hyperalgesia to thermal stimulation. However, in pathophysiological conditions, peripheral norepinephrine has a significant influence on nerve endings mediating pain. This is shown by the finding that administration of norepinephrine in inflamed or neuropathic skin in humans aggravates pain and hyperalgesia.
Plasticity in peripheral noradrenergic systems following injury or inflammation
In line with psychophysical observations, neurophysiological studies in experimental animals indicate that under physiological conditions nociceptive primary afferent fibers are little, if at all, influenced by norepinephrine, sympathetic stimulation, or synthetic noradrenergic compounds. However, following nerve injury particularly nociceptive C fibers, and to a lesser extent nociceptive A-delta fibers, are excited by norepinephrine and sympathetic stimulation.
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- Information
- Brain NorepinephrineNeurobiology and Therapeutics, pp. 385 - 407Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007