ArticleNature communications2024
A mesocortical glutamatergic pathway modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine co-release.
Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nitrous oxide controls the DCN to VTA dopamine circuit by enhancing AMPA receptor functions during rewarding behavior.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Activation by Alcohol of Prefrontal Layer 5 Pyramidal Neurons Depends on Ascending Dopaminergic Input.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026Article
- Multiplexed neurochemical monitoring reveals glutamate modulates dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens.Neurochemistry international · 2026Article
- A neuron type-specific microexon in Ank3/ankyrin-G modulates calcium activity and neuronal excitability.Nature communications · 2026Article
- The Role of the Ventral Tegmental Area in Reward and Addiction: A Comprehensive Review.Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) · 2026Review
- Circuit-specific remodeling of synaptic co-transmission in stress-responsive networks.Animal cells and systems · 2026Review
- A neuron type-specific microexon inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- The cell-type-specific genetic architecture of chronic pain in brain and dorsal root ganglia.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2025Article
- A high-resolution genomic roadmap for chronic pain converges on glutamatergic neurons and C-fibers.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2025Article
- Withdrawal-Induced Delirium in Opioid Dependence: A Systematic Review.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Remote automated delivery of mechanical stimuli coupled to brain recordings in behaving mice.eLife · 2025Article
- Etiological basis for chronic pain genetic variation in brain and dorsal root ganglia cell types.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Exploring the Analgesic Potential of L-Lysine: Molecular Mechanisms, Preclinical Evidence, and Implications for Pharmaceutical Pain Therapy.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- NaHS modulates astrocytic EAAT2 expression to impact SNI-induced neuropathic pain and depressive-like behaviors.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Modulation of comorbid depression of neuropathic pain by dopamine input from VTA to the ventral hippocampus.Theranostics · 2025Article
- Ultrafast optical imaging techniques for exploring rapid neuronal dynamics.Neurophotonics · 2025Review
- Article
- Spared nerve injury leads to reduced activity of neurons projecting from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray to the locus coeruleus.Molecular brain · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Dysfunction in the mesocortical pathway, connecting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the prefrontal cortex, has been implicated in chronic pain. While extensive research has focused on the role of dopamine, the contribution of glutamatergic signaling in pain modulation remains unknown. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we observe diminished VTA glutamatergic activity targeting the prelimbic cortex (PL) in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Optogenetic activation of VTA glutamatergic terminals in the PL alleviates neuropathic pain, whereas inhibiting these terminals in naïve mice induces pain-like responses. Importantly, this pain-modulating effect is independent of dopamine co-release, as demonstrated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene deletion. Furthermore, we show that VTA neurons primarily project to excitatory neurons in the PL, and their activation restores PL outputs to the anterior cingulate cortex, a key region involved in pain processing. These findings reveal a distinct mesocortical glutamatergic pathway that critically modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine signaling.
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