SoylentNews

Brain Protein Promotes Maintenance of Chronic Pain

posted by Fnord666 on Saturday October 12 2019, @10:49AM   
from the better-living-through-chemistry dept.

martyb writes:

Brain Protein Promotes Maintenance of Chronic Pain:

A protein called RGS4 (Regulator of G protein signaling 4) plays a prominent role in the maintenance of long-term pain states and may serve as a promising new target for the treatment of chronic pain conditions, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in print October 16, in The Journal of Neuroscience.

The discovery may help doctors stop acute pain from progressing into chronic pain, a condition in which patients experience not just pain, but a number of debilitating symptoms ranging from sensory deficits to depression and loss of motivation. The transition from acute to chronic (pathological) pain is accompanied by numerous adaptations in immune, glial, and neuronal cells, many of which are still not well understood. As a result, currently available medications for neuropathic or chronic inflammatory pain show limited efficacy and major side effects. Commonly administered opioids provide temporary alleviation of some pain symptoms, but carry serious risks like addiction in the context of long-term treatment for chronic pain. Therefore, there is an imminent need for novel approaches towards the treatment of chronic pain and for the development of medications that disrupt pain states instead of simply alleviating symptoms.

"Our research reveals that RGS4 actions contribute to the transition from acute and sub-acute pain to pathological pain states and to the maintenance of pain," says Venetia Zachariou, PhD, Professor in the Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, the Department of Pharmacological Sciences and The Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Because chronic pain states affect numerous neurochemical processes and single-target drugs are unlikely to work, it's exciting to have discovered a multifunctional protein that can be targeted to disrupt the maintenance of pain."

Journal Reference:

Kleopatra Avrampou, et al.. RGS4 maintains chronic pain symptoms in rodent models. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2019; 3154-18 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3154-18.2019

What possible survival benefit can there be for having a pathway to actively maintain chronic pain?

---

Original Submission

• Deep Survivalism And Consciousness Deep Survivalism And Consciousness (Score: 2) by Mojibake Tengu on Saturday October 12 2019, @02:22PM (2 children)

  by Mojibake Tengu (8598) on Saturday October 12 2019, @02:22PM (#906329) Journal

  What possible survival benefit can there be for having a pathway to actively maintain chronic pain?

  Looking for solution of this problem, let me shift the paradigm a bit for a moment:
  What possible survival benefit can there be for having a pathway to actively maintain an error log?

  Well, an understanding is now obvious: it motivates to behavioral change for the purpose of remove causal source of error.

  You can now backport this solution to the original pain problem.

  --
  The edge of 太玄 cannot be defined, for it is beyond every aspect of design

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		2

• Re:Deep Survivalism And Consciousness (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 12 2019, @05:20PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 12 2019, @05:20PM (#906387)

  http://painexhibit.org/en/pain-and-art/ [painexhibit.org]

  Art is far more effective at communicating the pain experience than words. The pain experience goes beyond the actual occurrence of physical pain and encompasses the entirety of one’s life. This experience can be both negative and positive.

  The negative pain experience can include multiple surgeries, painful treatments, using different medications which produce unpleasant side effects, the failing of relationships, feelings of isolation and being trapped, poor self-image, depression, insomnia, frustration in trying to find quality medical treatment, and battles with insurance companies and lawyers. Since chronic pain frequently cannot be seen, unlike a broken arm, many with pain are not believed by doctors, colleagues, friends and family. This lack of belief is especially difficult for those living with pain.

  Although no person would ever volunteer to have chronic pain, the pain experience can impact one’s life in positive ways. “What does not kill you makes you stronger,” is an applicable quote. It is not unusual for people with chronic pain to develop greater inner strength, and to become more introspective which leads to increased self-understanding. Chronic pain may change the course of one’s life and result in a more satisfying path. It is not unusual for those in pain to begin the pursuit of a spiritual path which can greatly enhance life.

  While minor compared to some, my chronic neck pain has led to introspection, but not through any type of organized religion. And, yes, I can also *be* a pain in the neck...

  Parent

• Re:Deep Survivalism And Consciousness (Score: 1) by jmc23 on Sunday October 13 2019, @11:39PM

  by jmc23 (4142) on Sunday October 13 2019, @11:39PM (#906771)

  At first I thought most people were too dumb to understand pain is a message telling you what you are doing wrong.

  Now I'm pretty sure people know this, but they don't give a shit and don't want to change so please pass the pills to help me ignore the consequences of my actions.

  Parent