Nonlinear Dynamics of Firing Activity Patterns of Nociceptive Neurons during Management of Damaging Pain Stimulation

Abstract

A bifurcation analysis of a nociceptive neuron model was performed to study how the firing activity pattern changes when an antinociceptive response to damaging pain stimulation arises in rat dorsal ganglia. Ectopic train activity was found to arise in the model. Suppression of train activity was demonstrated to proceed solely through modification of the activation gating structure of the Na_V1.8 slow sodium channel in response to comenic acid, which exerts an analgesic effect and is an active ingredient of the new nonopioid analgesic Anoceptin.