Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-1-2022
Journal
Frontiers in Pain Research
Abstract
A high prevalence of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from chronic neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, the precise pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have yet to be clearly elucidated and targeted treatments are largely lacking. As an unfortunate consequence, neuropathic pain in the population with SCI is refractory to standard of care treatments and represents a significant contributor to morbidity and suffering. In recent years, advances from SCI-specific animal studies and translational models have furthered our understanding of the neuronal excitability, glial dysregulation, and chronic inflammation processes that facilitate neuropathic pain. These developments have served advantageously to facilitate exploration into the use of neuromodulation as a treatment modality. The use of intrathecal drug delivery (IDD), with novel pharmacotherapies, to treat chronic neuropathic pain has gained particular attention in both pre-clinical and clinical contexts. In this evidence-based narrative review, we provide a comprehensive exploration into the emerging evidence for the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain following SCI, the evidence basis for IDD as a therapeutic strategy, and novel pharmacologics across impactful animal and clinical studies.
Keywords
spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain, intrathecal drug delivery, glial dysfunction, chronic inflammation
DOI
10.3389/fpain.2022.933422
PMID
35965596
PMCID
PMC9371595
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
7-28-2022
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes