Abstract

In humans, gamma-band oscillations in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) correlate with subjective pain perception. However, functional contributions to pain and the nature of underlying circuits are unclear. Here we report that gamma oscillations, but not other rhythms, are specifically strengthened independently of any motor component in the S1 cortex of mice during nociception. Moreover, mice with inflammatory pain show elevated resting gamma and alpha activity and increased gamma power in response to sub-threshold stimuli, in association with behavioral nociceptive hypersensitivity. Inducing gamma oscillations via optogenetic activation of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons in the S1 cortex enhances nociceptive sensitivity and induces aversive avoidance behavior. Activity mapping identified a network of prefrontal cortical and subcortical centers whilst morphological tracing and pharmacological studies demonstrate the requirement of descending serotonergic facilitatory pathways in these pain-related behaviors. This study thus describes a mechanistic framework for modulation of pain by specific activity patterns in the S1 cortex.

Gamma oscillations in somatosensory areas in humans correlate with pain perception and pain stimulus intensity, but could also reflect cognitive processes such as attention. Here the authors provide evidence in mice that these oscillations causally contribute to pain perception.

Details

Title
Gamma oscillations in somatosensory cortex recruit prefrontal and descending serotonergic pathways in aversion and nociception
Author
Tan, Linette Liqi 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Oswald, Manfred Josef 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Heinl Céline 1 ; Retana Romero Oscar Andrés 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kaushalya, Sanjeev Kumar 1 ; Monyer Hannah 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kuner Rohini 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg, Germany 
 Medical Faculty Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Heidelberg, Germany (GRID:grid.7497.d) (ISNI:0000 0004 0492 0584) 
 Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg, Germany (GRID:grid.7497.d) 
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Dec 2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2187022710
Copyright
This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.