For the longest time, scientists believed that the brain processed the emotional and sensory aspects of pain independently, through separate pathways. But recent debates have proposed the idea that the two might be connected, and the sensory pathway might also contribute to the emotional side of pain.
Researchers at the Salk Institute of Biological Studies, used advanced techniques to manipulate the activity of specific brain cells in mice, discovering a new spinothalmic pathway. Pain signals were sent from the spinal cord to multiple regions of the thalamus, which has connections to the amygdala, the brain’s emotional processing center. Specific neurons in the amygdala were identified with the expression of CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide), which can be associated with emotional processing in the amygdala.
When these CGRP neurons were deactivated, the mice still had an intact sensory processing ability, capable of responding to pain stimuli like heat or pressure. However, they did not associate these sensations with traumatic emotional impact or any forms of avoidant fear in subsequent trials. Inversely, in cases where CGRP was found to be active, the mice associated the pain with trauma and distress.
This study conculdes that different individuals experience pain differently depending on the levels of activity within CGRP, and that pain could be tolerable if the emotional distress factor is taken out of the equation, revealing potential for new methods of treating chronic pain conditions such as migraines and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
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