Award
NIH Reporter #5F31NS139494-02
Default Mode Network Inflammation as a Supraspinal Mechanism of Pain Chronification
Recipient
Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center
Award Amount
$37,259.00
Ceiling
$37,259.00
Awarded
September 07, 2026
Identifier
5F31NS139494-02
Research project funded by NINDS to study neuroinflammation in the Default Mode Network as a mechanism for chronic pain development using a rat model, aiming to identify new therapeutic targets.
Description
This project aims to characterize Default Mode Network (DMN) connectivity in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury, examining longitudinal changes as neuropathic pain progresses. It will explore localized neuroinflammation in DMN nodes, including cytokine and chemokine expression, and test if microglial silencing using site-specific minocycline can reverse changes in DMN connectivity and pain behaviors. The results will provide foundational data on inflammatory processes in the DMN and their role in pain propagation, justifying future clinical studies and identifying new targets for pain chronification prevention.