Influence of amygdaloid glutamatergic receptors on sensory and emotional pain-related behavior in the neuropathic rat.

Behav Brain Res. 2010 May 1;209(1):174-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.01.021.

Influence of amygdaloid glutamatergic receptors on sensory and emotional pain-related behavior in the neuropathic rat.

Ansah OB, Bourbia N, Gonçalves L, Almeida A, Pertovaara A.

Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract
The role of amygdaloid glutamatergic receptors (GluRs) in maintenance of the sensory versus emotional component of neuropathic pain was studied by assessing monofilament-induced limb withdrawal response (sensory pain) and aversive place-conditioning behavior (emotional pain) followingamygdaloid administration of various glutamatergic compounds in nerve-injured animals. The results indicate that endogenous activation ofamygdaloid group I metabotropic GluRs, mGluR(1) and mGluR(5), and the NMDA-R contributes to maintenance of sensory and emotionalcomponents of neuropathic pain. The predominant effect by amygdaloid group I mGluRs was facilitation of emotional-like pain behavior.

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