Behavioral Pharmacological Analysis of Deep Brain Stimulation Following Nerve Injury

Treatment of neuropathic pain remains a major unmet public health problem. Serious concerns arise over misuse of prescription opioids in chronic pain patients, a drug class representing the fastest growing substance abuse problem in the United States. Ascending pain pathways overlap significantly with limbic regions involved in reward and reinforcement, therefore pain and reward systems substantially interact and modulate one another. The extent to which pain modulates mesolimbic dopamine systems and thereby alters the reinforcing and abuse-related effects of opioids is not fully understood. The ability of pain relief to produce reinforcement in and of itself through modulation of this circuitry is also unknown.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Ewan, Eric Edward

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/36445

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/36445