816-Spino-Brain-Spinal Cord Loop of Chronic Mechanical Pain

Paper Talk · Apr 18, 2026 · 20m

Researchers have identified a specialized multisynaptic circuit loop that specifically drives chronic mechanical pain while remaining inactive during normal, protective sensation. This neural pathway originates in the spinal cord, ascends through the thalamus to the primary somatosensory cortex, and returns to the spinal cord via the lateral superior colliculus and OPRM1+ neurons in the medulla. Experiments using mouse models of nerve injury and inflammation demonstrate that silencing any node in this loop can eliminate mechanical hypersensitivity and restore normal pain thresholds…