It has been proposed that animal models of pain can be used as a practical approach to learning about the human condition. In the Pain field, a number of acute and chronic models have been used. Indeed, research in animals has contributed much to our understanding of changes at the behavioral, anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular levels. However, to date, animal models have by and large not been useful in prospectively defining a drug or other agent (e.g., gene) that will prove to be efficacious in humans. Our belief is that we have not compared changes in animals and humans at the neural circuit level. A comparison of objective changes in circuits will allow for better targeting and evaluation of drug action. Most of our drugs have targeted peripheral mechanisms. However, recent work has indicated the importance of forebrain sites that may be more important in directing analgesic actions than those that affect classic pain circuitry. Developments in neuroimaging allow us to visualize < 1mm3 volume of tissue in animals using non-invasive methods. The advantages of animal models is that they can provide a standardized approach (e.g., the identical nerve lesion), to examine tissue for gene analysis and the ability to test initial target drugs.

relevant p.a.i.n. group publications

relevant non-pubmed p.a.i.n. group publications