Fig. 2: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity within the dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord in chronic pain. | Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Fig. 2: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity within the dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord in chronic pain.

From: Modulating neuroplasticity for chronic pain relief: noninvasive neuromodulation as a promising approach

Fig. 2

Dorsal horn neurons are initially activated by fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) through AMPA/kainate receptors, and this activation is further enhanced by slow EPSPs through NMDA receptors. The initiation process is mediated by intracellular kinase/phosphatase signaling and neuromodulators secreted from glial cells, which induce central sensitization. Maladaptation is driven by alterations in gene expression, the loss of inhibitory interneurons, and the formation of aberrant excitatory synaptic connections.

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