One mechanisms thought to underly the transition of acute to chronic pain is synaptic long-term potentiation at synapses in the superficial spinal cord dorsal horn, which can be induced by strong noxious stimuli such as inflammation or trauma, or upon withdrawal of opioids. We are investigating the mechanisms of induction, maintenance and reversal of this form of synaptic plasticity in the nociceptive system. For this, we use state-of the art electrophysiological in vivo and in vitro techniques, behavioral testing, imaging techniques as well as opto- and chemogenetic methods.
Curently, our work is focused on the role of glial cells and the effects of neuron-glial interactions on synaptic transmission and plasticity at synapses in the superficial layers of the spinal cord dorsal horn.
