A corticothalamic circuit modulates pain sensitivity and mediates innate fear-induced analgesia in male mice - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #pain
- #fear
- #neuroscience
- Innate fear suppresses acute and chronic pain in male mice, but pain does not modulate fear responses.
- GABAergic neurons in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) are activated by fear-inducing odors, reducing pain-associated hyperactivity in the mediodorsal thalamus (MD).
- Inhibiting APCGABA neurons or the APCGABA-MD circuit increases pain sensitivity and eliminates fear-induced analgesia.
- Activating APCGABA neurons or the APCGABA-MD circuit induces freezing behavior and relieves pain, mimicking fear-induced analgesia.
- The study identifies a corticothalamic circuit that bidirectionally regulates pain processing and underlies fear-provoked analgesia, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for pain management.