神经病理痛是指由中枢或外周神经系统损伤或疾病引起的疼痛综合征。神经病理痛是临床上常见的一种疾病,但是其发病机制不甚清楚,临床上也缺乏有效的治疗手段。近年来的研究除了集中于痛觉的上行传导及中枢机制,以及痛觉的下行抑制之外,也证明下行易化系统激活参与神经病理痛的发病机制。本文拟对此进行综述,希望为治疗神经病理痛提供新思路。
Neuropathic pain refers to pain that originates from pathology of the nervous system. Currently available therapies yield limited success in treating such pain, suggesting the need for new insight into its underlying mechanisms. Neuropathic pain involves not only ascending pain pathway and its central modulation, but also descending inhibition and descending facilitation systems. In this review, we introduce briefly the concept of descending facilitation and its role in the development of neuropathic pain. Understanding the descending facilitation system can provide new insights into the modulation of neuropathic pain, and lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neuropathic pain.