Deconstructing the Neuropathic Pain Phenotype to Reveal Neural Mechanisms

Abstract

After nerve injury maladaptive changes can occur in injured sensory neurons and along the entire nociceptive pathway within the CNS, which may lead to spontaneous pain or pain hypersensitivity. The resulting neuropathic pain syndromes present as a complex combination of negative and positive symptoms, which vary enormously from individual to individual. This variation depends on a diversity of underlying pathophysiological changes resulting from the convergence of etiological, genotypic, and environmental factors. The pain phenotype can serve therefore, as a window on underlying pathophysiological neural mechanisms and as a guide for developing personalized pain medicine. Diverse pathophysiological changes resulting from the convergence of etiological, genotypic, and environmental factors trigger neuropathic pain syndromes. von Hehn et al. review the underlying mechanisms and discuss how the pain phenotype can guide the development of personalized pain medicine. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.