Grant: Project Grant

One of the hallmarks of autoimmune inflammation is chronic persistent pain in the absence of tissue damage or injury. Recently, the amygdala has emerged as a critical regulator of pain perception and control. To date, no research has examined how autoimmune inflammation alters amygdala activity, and whether changes in the amygdala contribute to pain hypersensitivity and opioid tolerance in this condition. Our research program will describe how cells in the amygdala respond to pain and analgesic stimuli following autoimmune inflammation. We then test strategies to restore amygdala function in order to improve pain and affective symptoms. These results will explore novel circuits contributing to pain hypersensitivity and improve our understanding of mechanisms driving chronic inflammatory pain.