[Descending facilitation system and its role in the development of neuropathic pain].
Neuropathic pain refers to pain that originates from pathology of the nervous system. Currently available therapies yield limited success in treating such pain, suggesting the need for new insight into its underlying mechanisms. Neuropathic pain involves not only ascending pain pathway and its central modulation, but also descending inhibition and descending facilitation systems. In this review, we introduce briefly the concept of descending facilitation and its role in the development of neuropathic pain. Understanding the descending facilitation system can provide new insights into the modulation of neuropathic pain, and lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Liu
Feng-Yu
FY
Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, China.
Xing
Guo-Gang
GG
Qu
Xiao-Xiu
XX
Zhang
Zhong
Z
Wan
You
Y
D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits