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Papers of the Week


Papers: 5 Oct 2019 - 11 Oct 2019

RESEARCH TYPE:
Psychology


Animal Studies


2020 Apr


Dev Psychobiol


62


3

Utilization of a rodent model to examine the neurological effects of early life adversity on adolescent pain sensitivity.

Authors

Salberg S, Noel M, Burke NN, Vinall J, Mychasiuk R
Dev Psychobiol. 2020 Apr; 62(3):386-399.
PMID: 31583678.

Abstract

All children experience pain, and although many recover quickly, some go on to develop chronic pain. Adolescent chronic pain is a growing epidemic. It is unknown why some adolescents recover without incident and others experience persistent pain. Although unexplored, early life adversity may contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain. This study investigated the effects and underlying neurobiological mechanisms of an early life stressor on nociceptive (pain) sensitivity and emotional function in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Using maternal separation (MS) as an established model of early life stress, we addressed two aims: investigation of the effects of MS on behavior (anxiety and pain sensitivity), and investigation of the effects of MS on mRNA and pathophysiological changes associated with an acutely painful stimulus. Our results indicate that MS increased anxiety-like behavior and altered nociceptive responsivity in adolescent rats, with decreased mechanical withdrawal thresholds indicative of heightened and prolonged pain-related behavior. The MS groups also demonstrated increased expression of genes involved in regulating the stress and fight-or-flight response, mood, and neuroplasticity; as well as increased levels of inflammatory markers. We conclude that nociception, both at the behavioral and molecular level, is altered in response to the MS stressor.