TY - JOUR
T1 - Cannabinoids in the descending pain modulatory circuit
T2 - Role in inflammation
AU - Bouchet, Courtney A.
AU - Ingram, Susan L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01DA042565 . The authors thank Kylie B McPherson for generating the figures.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - The legalization of cannabis in some states has intensified interest in the potential for cannabis and its constituents to lead to novel therapeutics for pain. Our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying cannabinoid actions in the brain have lagged behind opioids; however, the current opioid epidemic has also increased attention on the use of cannabinoids as alternatives to opioids for pain, especially chronic pain that requires long-term use. Endogenous cannabinoids are lipid signaling molecules that have complex roles in modulating neuronal function throughout the brain. In this review, we discuss cannabinoid functions in the descending pain modulatory pathway, a brain circuit that integrates cognitive and emotional processing of pain to modulate incoming sensory inputs. In addition, we highlight areas where further studies are necessary to understand cannabinoid regulation of descending pain modulation.
AB - The legalization of cannabis in some states has intensified interest in the potential for cannabis and its constituents to lead to novel therapeutics for pain. Our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying cannabinoid actions in the brain have lagged behind opioids; however, the current opioid epidemic has also increased attention on the use of cannabinoids as alternatives to opioids for pain, especially chronic pain that requires long-term use. Endogenous cannabinoids are lipid signaling molecules that have complex roles in modulating neuronal function throughout the brain. In this review, we discuss cannabinoid functions in the descending pain modulatory pathway, a brain circuit that integrates cognitive and emotional processing of pain to modulate incoming sensory inputs. In addition, we highlight areas where further studies are necessary to understand cannabinoid regulation of descending pain modulation.
KW - Analgesia
KW - Cannabinoid
KW - Endocannabinoid
KW - Pain
KW - Periaqueductal gray
KW - Presynaptic terminals
KW - Rostral ventromedial medulla
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078894594&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85078894594&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107495
DO - 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107495
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32004514
AN - SCOPUS:85078894594
SN - 0163-7258
VL - 209
JO - Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Part A: Chemotherapy, Toxicology and
JF - Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Part A: Chemotherapy, Toxicology and
M1 - 107495
ER -