Neuropathic pain has sex-specific effects on oxycodone-seeking and non-drug-seeking ensemble neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex of mice.

ABSTRACT: Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and nearly a quarter of chronic pain patients have reported misusing opioid prescriptions. Repeated drug seeking is associated with reactivation of an ensemble of neurons sparsely scattered throughout the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). Prior research has demonstrated that chronic pain increases intrinsic excitability of dmPFC neurons, which may increase the likelihood of reactivation during drug seeking. We tested the hypothesis that chronic pain would increase oxycodone-seeking behaviour and that the pain state would differentially increase intrinsic excitability in dmPFC drug-seeking ensemble neurons. TetTag mice self-administered intravenous oxycodone. After 7 days of forced abstinence, a drug-seeking session was perfo

SUBMITTER: Sarka BC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11315577 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature