Spinal Cord Cells Control Pain
Spinal cord cells are responsible for controlling pain and itch, according to research published in the journal Neuron. Researchers from the University of Zurich used genetically modified viruses to interfere with the functions of neurons in mice in order to investigate how neurons contribute to pain and itch processing. The researchers drew on prior findings from 50 years ago, which had demonstrated “Gate Control Theory” of pain – the idea that inhibitory nerve cells in the spinal cord could determine whether a pain impulse from the periphery (from the foot, for example) is relayed to the brain or suppressed. The…