Inhibiting Pain Processing in Rats

Pain often brings about anxiety and depression, which in turn can worsen the pain. The Journal of Neuroscience has published a paper entitled GABAergic CaMKIIα+ Amygdala Output Attenuates Pain and Modulates Emotional-motivational Behaviour via Parabrachial Inhibition. In their Significance Statement...

Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: Oral, Topical, & Other Treatments

What are the best treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy? The American Academy of Neuropathy, with an endorsement by the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine, has updated its 2011 guidelines for oral and topical treatments. The recommendations, which may reduce as...

A Better Understanding of Anesthetics

Newswise — ...UT Southwestern scientists have shown exactly how anesthetics attach to the GABA_A receptor and alter its three-dimensional structure, and how the brain can tell the difference between anesthetics and the psychoactive drugs known as benzodiazepines – which also bind to the GABA_A recepto...

What's All the "GABA" About?

The gabapentinoids are a popular class of medications among prescribers for use in chronic pain and various other neurological conditions. In fact, prescription rates for both gabapentin and pregabalin have increased in the United States and other countries in recent years. However, these...

Adding Gabapentin to Opioid Therapy?

A small study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois reports that adding gabapentin to opioids for the treatment of chronic pain delivered no advantage in pain control. In the past decade, gabapentin prescribing by primary care for treatment of chronic low back and neck pain has...