Réorganisation structurale et fonctionnelle du système nerveux central pendant la période néonatale : un enjeu majeur du développement de la nociception

A review of the circuits, synapses, and molecules implicated in the process of pain in the newborn, and their evolution over time starting from the embryonic period, offers several elements for reflection concerning the modifications which can be induced by an early experience of pain during the neonatal period when neuronal plasticity is particularly important. These rarely considered pain-stimuli-related modifications can have an impact on the way the individual lives an experience of pain during adulthood. Starting with a very extensive review of the literature published by Debie Alvares and Maria Fitzgerald, one can better understand the importance of managing and preventing pain in the infant and young child. Awareness of this problematic has led to several studies devoted to evaluating, preventing and treating pain in infants, irrespective of the clinical context.