Central pain syndrome is a common consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI). The pain is severe, unrelenting, and debilitating because it is resistant to pharmacologic treatments. Approximately 40% of individuals suffering from SCI develop central pain. An alternative and potentially effective modality of treatment--motor cortex stimulation (MCS)--offers hope for these patients. However, treatment outcomes with MCS are variable mainly because of the lack of understanding of how stimulation of the motor cortex reduces pain.

In this project, we study this debilitating condition, which affects a significant number of military service members and veterans, and investigate the mechanisms by which MCS reduces pain. We use a rodent model of SCI to delineate the neuronal circuitry involved in pain relief after MCS. We propose that MCS relieves pain by activating a novel inhibitory pathway in the thalamus.

Findings from the proposed experiments will increase our understanding of how pain information flows through the thalamus and how it is regulated. It will also highlight key structures involved in pain transmission. This will allow researchers to further target these structures in their efforts to find ways to prevent and manage the debilitating consequences of SCI.

Further, the results of this study will have a significant impact on the standard of care currently in place for the treatment of patients with central pain. By validating the scientific basis of this potentially effective clinical tool, noninvasive MCS is likely to replace ineffective pharmacologic treatments as the standard of care for patients suffering from central pain following spinal cord injury.