Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6278899 | Neuroscience Letters | 2016 | 24 Pages |
Abstract
The insular cortex (IC) is a pain-related brain region that receives various types of sensory input and processes the emotional aspects of pain. The present study was conducted to investigate spatiotemporal patterns related to neuroplastic changes in the IC after nerve injury using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. The tibial and sural nerves of rats were injured under pentobarbital anesthesia. To observe optical signals in the IC, rats were re-anesthetized with urethane 7Â days after injury, and a craniectomy was performed to allow for optical imaging. Optical signals of the IC were elicited by peripheral electrical stimulation. Neuropathic rats showed a significantly higher optical intensity following 5.0Â mA electrical stimulation compared to sham-injured rats. A larger area of activation was observed by 1.25 and 2.5Â mA electrical stimulation compared to sham-injured rats. The activated areas tended to be larger, and the peak amplitudes of optical signals increased with increasing stimulation intensity in both groups. These results suggest that the elevated responsiveness of the IC to peripheral stimulation is related to neuropathic pain, and that neuroplastic changes are likely to be involved in the IC after nerve injury.
Keywords
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Neuroscience
Neuroscience (General)
Authors
Jeongsoo Han, Myeounghoon Cha, Minjee Kwon, Seong-Karp Hong, Sun Joon Bai, Bae Hwan Lee,