Unexpected mechanism behind chronic nerve pain
[PRESS RELEASE 2017-06-01] It has long been assumed that chronic nerve pain is caused by hypersensitivity in the neurons that transmit pain. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that another kind of neuron that normally allows us to feel pleasant touch sensation, can switch function and instead signal pain after nerve damage. The results, which are presented in the journal Science, can eventually lead to more effective pain treatments.Severe, treatment-demanding chronic nerve pain is a common condition but the drugs available have, at best, only some efficacy. Since the