The €10,000 research grant will support the project “The Rostral Ventromedial Medulla As A Key Target Of The Maladaptive Response To Chronic Inflammatory Pain”. Its main focus is the role of descending modulation in the chronification of pain in patients with osteoarthritis.
The main objective of this investigation is to explore the cellular (neuronal and glial), molecular and electrophysiological changes in the brainstem produced by osteoarthritis and to obtain answers about how osteoarthritis has an impact on the structure and function of the RVM (ventromedial rostral medulla), and if a pharmacological treatment using antidepressants can improve or modulate these alterations. Through a series of behavioral, histological and electrophysiological techniques, the researcher sought to assess alterations in the structure of the RVM, in the number and morphology of its neurons and glial cells, in the levels of neurotransmitters and in the response of neurons to different stimuli.
Understanding these mechanisms will allow the future development of new therapies that can improve the quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis.
Promoted by the Grünenthal Foundation, the Scholarship for Young Investigators in Pain aims to support basic research projects related to pain.
