Mechanisms and Pharmacology of Neuropathic Pain in Multiple Sclerosis [chapter]

T. Iannitti, B. J. Kerr, B. K. Taylor
2014 Current topics in behavioral neurosciences  
The neuropathic pain of multiple sclerosis is quite prevalent and severely impacts quality of life. A few randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trials suggest that cannabis-and anticonvulsant-based treatments provide partial pain relief, but at the expense of adverse events. An even smaller, but emerging, number of translational studies are using rodent models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which exhibit pain-like behaviors resembling those of MS patients. These
more » ... tudies not only support the possible effectiveness of anticonvulsants, but also compel further clinical trials with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin, or drugs which interfere with glutamatergic neurotransmission. Future behavioral studies in EAE models are essential towards a new pharmacotherapy of multiple sclerosis pain.
doi:10.1007/7854_2014_288 pmid:24590824 pmcid:PMC4464806 fatcat:4tph4hdoinah5mgl73qtg4iasq