Abstract #2008
Decreased Glutamate in the Periaqueductal Gray Associates with Neuropathic Pain
Yazhuo Kong 1 , Uzay Emir 1 , George Tackley 1 , Lucy Matthews 2 , Charlotte Stagg 1 , Irene Tracey 1 , and Jacqueline Palace 2
1
FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of
Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford,
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom,
2
Nuffield
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of
Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a key component of
descending pain modulatory system that powerfully
modulates nociceptive inputs. Here, we specifically
assess the relationship between increased descending
inhibition, as reflected by an increased excitatory
glutamate level within the PAG, and the degree of
neuropathic pain, using 1H MR spectroscopy and
painDETECT questionnaire with Neuromyelitis Optica
patients. Glutamate was found to be negatively
correlated to the degree of neuropathic pain. Our
finding suggests that glutamate levels may reflect the
tone of inhibitory activity established in the
descending pain inhibition system.
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