Grant: Operating Grant

Chronic pain is a major health concern which affects all Canadians. From whatever cause, all of us either experience it ourselves or have friends and loved ones which do. Chronic pain is responsible for considerable suffering which is not always well-managed by our healthcare system. One of the reasons for this is that we are still ignorant about the mechanisms that contribute to its initiation and maintenance. The research proposed in this grant aims at studying these mechanisms at the level of the spinal cord in two animal models of chronic pain. These models reflect the two types of pain most frequently encountered by Canadians, pain following nerve lesions (neuropathic pain) and pain associated with chronic inflammation and arthritis. In our research, we will focus on the region of the spinal cord where pain-related fibres terminate. This region is of interest as it is the area of the central nervous system where the first modulation of pain-related information takes place, before being forwarded to the brain. Our objective is to study the connections in the spinal cord and function of the two main populations of nerve fibres which transmit pain-related information from the source of injury to the spinal cord. Our studies will assess the participation of each nerve fibre population in these two models of chronic pain. For this, we will use a combination of methods, including advanced microscopy techniques, the latest means to label the connections of neurons and a technique that will selectively destroy the nerve fibre populations involved in pain processing. We will identify the substances, called neurotransmitters, which are released from these neurons, and will assess the changes in animal pain-related behaviour. The research under this grant should provide important clues that will be of use in the future management of chronic pain.