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Abstract

Neuroscience

Intracranial Pharmacotherapy and Pain Assays in Rodents

Published: April 9th, 2019

DOI:

10.3791/58473

1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 2Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine

Abstract

Pain is a salient sensory experience with affective and cognitive dimensions. However, central mechanisms for pain remain poorly understood, hindering the development of effective therapeutics. Intracranial pharmacology presents an important tool for understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pain in the brain, as well as for novel treatments. Here we present a protocol that integrates intracranial pharmacology with pain behavior testing. Specifically, we show how to infuse analgesic drugs into a select brain region, which may be responsible for pain modulation. Furthermore, to determine the effect of the candidate drug in the central nerve system, pain assays are performed after intracranial treatment. Our results demonstrate that intracranial administration of analgesic drugs in a targeted region can provide relief of pain in rodents. Thus, our protocol successfully demonstrates that intracranial pharmacology, combined with pain behavior testing, can be a powerful tool for the study of pain mechanisms in the brain.

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Keywords Intracranial Pharmacotherapy

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