RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE STUDY OF SPINAL CORD INJURY AND NEUROPATHIC PAIN

Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a profound clinical problem for which there exists limited effective therapy. The clinical management of SCI is frequently complicated by the subsequent development of chronic neuropathic pain syndromes. The pathogenesis of central neuropathic pain following SCI is unclear, although evidence exists for the involvement of a diverse range of factors. Key mediators of neuropathic pain include the inflammatory process, excitatory neurotransmitters, opioid and cannabinoid receptors, and ion channel activity. Recent studies conducted in animal models have yielded promising results for the development of neuropathic pain therapies that target these mediators, but clinical results have been disappointing. In this review, we provide an overview of current animal models of SCI and neuropathic pain, discuss recent advances in the study of the aforementioned neuropathic pain mediators, and review the current clinical treatment of neuropathic pain with emphasis on areas that show promise for future investigation.