LTP of spinal A beta and C-fibre evoked responses after electrical sciatic nerve stimulation

Plasticity in the central nervous system may play an important role in clinical pain. The present study shows that long-term potentiation (LTP) may be induced in single wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the dorsal horn after high-frequency stimulation of the sciatic nerve in intact urethane anaest...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNeuroreport Vol. 8; no. 16; p. 3427
Main Authors Svendsen, F, Tjølsen, A, Hole, K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 10.11.1997
Subjects
Afferent Pathways - physiology
Animals
Conditioning (Psychology)
Electric Stimulation
Evoked Potentials
Female
Long-Term Potentiation
Memory - physiology
Nerve Fibers - physiology
Neurons - physiology
Pain - physiopathology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sciatic Nerve - physiology
Spinal Cord - physiology
Time Factors
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Summary:Plasticity in the central nervous system may play an important role in clinical pain. The present study shows that long-term potentiation (LTP) may be induced in single wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the dorsal horn after high-frequency stimulation of the sciatic nerve in intact urethane anaesthetized rats. Extracellular recordings of firing responses after single pulse stimuli were made. The high-frequency conditioning stimulus increased the A beta- and C-fibre-mediated firing responses to single pulse stimuli by 60 and 130%, respectively, for more than 6 h. This finding supports a role for WDR neurons in 'nociceptive memory' in the dorsal horn. The model presented here may be an important tool for further investigations of mechanisms of plasticity within the dorsal horn.
ISSN:0959-4965
DOI:10.1097/00001756-199711100-00002