Chronic Neuropathic Pain and Comorbid Depression Syndrome: From Neural Circuit Mechanisms to Treatment.
ACS chemical neuroscience July 3, 2024 Yue Zhang, Hui Ma, Yafan Bai et al. 25 citations
Chronic neuropathic pain and comorbid depression syndrome (CDS) is a major global health problem affecting quality of life and imposing a large socioeconomic burden. More than half of patients with chronic neuropathic pain also suffer from moderate or severe depression. The complex causes of CDS and limited research on its neural circuit mechanisms hinder effective treatments. Activating some neural circuits can alleviate pain or depression, while activating others worsens these conditions. Current and emerging pharmacotherapies, such as ketamine, are discussed. Understanding the circuit mechanisms may guide development of new drugs for better CDS management.