Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105438
Kathryn A Birnie, Alexandra Neville
{"title":"Patient partnership is essential to the advancement of pain research.","authors":"Kathryn A Birnie, Alexandra Neville","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105438","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105438","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Patient partnership is becoming a cornerstone of pain research advancement. It is a key strategy in promoting inclusive research practices and is now a requirement of many funding bodies. The involvement of people with lived experience as partners in research not only enhances research quality, relevance, and impact, but also embodies the principles of health equity and social justice. Indeed, patient partnership is fundamentally about the democratization of science. Historically, patient involvement and advocacy have been key drivers of change in health research, including in the field of pain. This commentary highlights key areas where patient partners are actively shaping the pain research ecosystem and the leading practices being implemented to guide the pain research community. As patient partnership rapidly evolves both within pain research and beyond, it is imperative to stay aware of and educate ourselves on advancements occurring in the broader patient partnership sphere. The integration of patient partnership in research calls for reflexivity, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed approaches to ensure diverse experiences are included and respected. Ultimately, patient partnership has the potential to advance pain research, leading to better understanding, prevention, and management of pain across diverse populations and improved health outcomes. PERSPECTIVE: Concerted efforts are needed to expand patient partnership in pain research. In addition to enhancing research quality and impact, patient partnership is also fundamentally about the democratization of science, health equity, and an act of social justice that is essential to the advancement of pain research, practice, and policy.</p>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":" ","pages":"105438"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105443
Jinghua Hou, Jiawei Du
{"title":"Future research directions on neuroplasticity in manual therapy and exercise for chronic neck pain.","authors":"Jinghua Hou, Jiawei Du","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105443","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":" ","pages":"105443"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Response to Letter to the Editor: Future research directions on neuroplasticity in manual therapy and exercise for chronic neck pain.","authors":"Rungtawan Chaikla, Munlika Sremakaew, Suwit Saekho, Suchart Kothan, Sureeporn Uthaikhup","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105444","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105444","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":" ","pages":"105444"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105445
Yanying Chen, Rujin Li, Wenjiang Wei, Kelei Hua, Zhihua Zhou, Bin Xia, Zichao Chen, Man Liang, Jiejing Li, Yunfan Wu
{"title":"Effect of Uterine Artery Embolization Therapy on ReHo Values in Brain Regions Related to Pain Perception and Emotion Regulation in Adenomyosis Patients Accompanied by Dysmenorrhea.","authors":"Yanying Chen, Rujin Li, Wenjiang Wei, Kelei Hua, Zhihua Zhou, Bin Xia, Zichao Chen, Man Liang, Jiejing Li, Yunfan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the brain in patients with adenomyosis accompanied by dysmenorrhea (AMD) before and after uterine artery embolization (UAE) surgery. ReHo is a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-based analysis for assessing the temporal synchronization of local neuronal activity in the brain. This study involved 32 patients with AMD who underwent UAE surgery. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were performed before and after the procedure. A paired t-test analyzed ReHo images to identify significant changes across various brain regions. Each participant underwent relevant laboratory tests and was evaluated using pain and emotional scales. Correlation analyses were subsequently conducted to examine relationships between these clinical features and pre-treatment ReHo values in the identified brain regions. This study found that compared with pre-treatment, ReHo values decreased in the left hippocampus, left caudate nucleus, and left putamen, while increasing in the right paracentral lobule and right cuneus. Particularly, pre-treatment ReHo values in the left hippocampus were positively correlated with scores on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), suggesting that the left hippocampus plays an important role in the processing of pain and adverse emotions in AMD. These findings provide evidence for reversible central plasticity following pain relief in AMD, offering new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of AMD, and may assist in developing more effective treatment strategies. PERSPECTIVE: This study identified significant changes in ReHo in several brain regions of AMD patients before and after treatment with UAE, especially the hippocampus was associated with preoperative pain level and related emotions, demonstrating that reversible central plasticity can occur after dysmenorrhea relief, which may help clinicians to formulate therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":" ","pages":"105445"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144111499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105436
Dr Sharon Bateman , Dr Line Caes , Dr Melanie Noel , Dr Jeremy Gauntlett-Gilbert , Dr Abigail Jones , Dr Abbie Jordan
{"title":"Clinician perspectives concerning the treatment of adolescents with co-occurring chronic pain and mental health symptoms","authors":"Dr Sharon Bateman , Dr Line Caes , Dr Melanie Noel , Dr Jeremy Gauntlett-Gilbert , Dr Abigail Jones , Dr Abbie Jordan","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pain and mental health symptoms frequently co-occur in adolescents, often posing physical, social, and emotional challenges. While previous research has focused on clinician perspectives on chronic pain in isolation, limited knowledge exists on the potential unique challenges these co-occurring symptoms’ present to clinicians in providing appropriate support to adolescents. This study examined clinician perspectives on the challenges and barriers to treating adolescents who experience co-occurring pain and mental health symptoms. Using a cross-sectional qualitative online vignette survey, responses were collected from 40 clinicians, including psychologists, physiotherapists, and doctors involved in treating adolescents (11–19 years) who experience co-occurring chronic pain and mental health symptoms. Participants, recruited from several countries, were asked about their perceived challenges to treating adolescents with co-occurring chronic pain and mental health symptoms. Vignettes were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis generated two themes. The first, ‘tangled threads’, describes how clinicians perceive mistrust from the adolescents based on previous negative clinician encounters and a perceived need to ‘undo’ this anticipated harm. The second theme ‘the difficult-to-pursue integrated approach’ depicts how fragmentation and siloed services for pain and mental health hinder effective treatment for adolescents who experience both symptoms. Co-occurring pain and mental health symptoms in adolescents are often initially mismanaged because they do not fit the mould of the services available to treat them, resulting in a more complex presentation to clinicians. The development of a more integrated clinical approach to treating adolescents with co-occurring pain and mental health symptoms is needed.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>This study identifies that clinicians perceive they face challenges treating adolescents with co-occurring pain and mental health symptoms, often due to the adolescent’s prior clinical experiences and the limited comprehensive treatment options available to them. An integrated approach is urgently needed to tailor care and reduce harm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 105436"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105439
Andrew H. Rogers Ph.D. , Jeffrey M. Lackner Psy.D. , Christopher Radziwon Ph.D. , Teresa L. Danforth M.D. , Gregory D. Gudleski Ph.D.
{"title":"Resilience among adults with chronic urologic pelvic pain syndrome: A flexible self-regulation perspective","authors":"Andrew H. Rogers Ph.D. , Jeffrey M. Lackner Psy.D. , Christopher Radziwon Ph.D. , Teresa L. Danforth M.D. , Gregory D. Gudleski Ph.D.","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While coping with the heavy patient demands of chronic pain requires psychological resilience, its core mechanisms have not been systematically studied in high-impact pain disorders like Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS). Applying a flexible self-regulation (FSR) model of resilience, we sought to characterize how flexibility deficits in the abilities to read, decode, and respond appropriately to contextual cues (context sensitivity) and coping flexibility relative to known protective (e.g., pain-specific resilience, social support) and vulnerability factors (e.g., catastrophizing), correspond with symptom severity and quality of life (QoL) impairment in patients with refractory UCPPS symptoms. Participants included 113 (<em>Mean age</em> = 43.56, <em>SD</em> = 14.79, 81.4% female) formally diagnosed UCPPS (Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome or Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome) patients with refractory pelvic pain. Baseline data, completed as part of an NIH clinical trial, included FSR components, Pain Resilience Scale, social support, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Coping Strategies Questionnaire - Catastrophizing, pelvic pain, and urinary severity indices, and QoL (CDC Healthy Days, PROMIS physical and mental health). Regression analyses, using a Bayesian variable selection method, examined how protective and vulnerability factors were associated with symptom and QoL outcomes. As predicted, context sensitivity and coping flexibility corresponded with higher QoL. The pattern of results was more consistent for components of FSR than for dispositional psychological factors including pain resilience, negative affectivity, and pain catastrophizing. Data demonstrates the importance of resilience rooted in a theory-informed, empirically grounded flexible self-regulation conceptual model.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>Flexible self-regulation, a cognitive-affective construct critical to the development of resilience, is important for understanding adaptation to nociplastic pain disorders like UCPPS. Contextual-based coping based on situational flexibility corresponds with quality of life, which may may be a novel therapeutic target for optimizing behavioral pain treatments for high-impact pain disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 105439"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105433
Brian W Pulling, Tasha R Stanton, Felicity Braithwaite, David S Butler, Anna R Vogelzang, G Lorimer Moseley, Erin MacIntyre, Mark J Catley
{"title":"Scale Development of the Osteoarthritis Conceptualisation Questionnaire: Phase 3 Convergent Validity and Test-retest Reliability.","authors":"Brian W Pulling, Tasha R Stanton, Felicity Braithwaite, David S Butler, Anna R Vogelzang, G Lorimer Moseley, Erin MacIntyre, Mark J Catley","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Osteoarthritis Conceptualisation Questionnaire (OACQ) aims to evaluate people's understanding of osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate construct validity and reliability among those with painful knee osteoarthritis. Using previously collected data (n=454, n=336 female; 64 ± 9yrs) and a second confirmatory sample (n=64, n= 47 female; 67 ± 8yrs), the scale properties of the four-dimensional (i.e., subscale) OACQ were evaluated. Both samples were compared to a Rasch model indicative of measurement to evaluate the targeting, category ordering, unidimensionality, local dependence, person fit, internal consistency, and differential item functioning (DIF). Convergent validity was evaluated in both samples, evaluating associations between the OACQ and related assessments. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in the second sample over a one-week period. Results showed that targeting was poor, although all OACQ subscales showed unidimensionality. Person fit was below the acceptable threshold for two subscales; however, sensitivity analysis revealed no specific cause for this misfit. Internal consistency was good for all subscales, and DIF was consistent with expected associations between measures. Rasch findings were supported in the confirmatory sample. The OACQ had correlations with related measures supportive of convergent validity and demonstrates good to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.89, 95%CI [0.80 to 0.94]). This study provides evidence supportive of validity and reliability of the OACQ as an assessment of how people understand knee osteoarthritis. It has utility as a tool for clinicians and researchers to understand how their patients/participants conceptualise knee osteoarthritis, its causes and consequences, contributors to pain, and optimal management approaches. PERSPECTIVE: The OACQ is a 36 item, four-domain questionnaire with evidence for construct, structural, and convergent validity, as well as reliability for people with knee osteoarthritis. The OACQ can be used to comprehensively evaluate the conceptual framework of painful knee osteoarthritis.</p>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":" ","pages":"105433"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144087021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105441
Patricia K. Carreño MA , Monnique Johnson MD , Janiece L. Taylor PhD , Letitia E. Travaglini PhD , Alexander G. Velosky MHI , Leah M. Adams PhD , Krista B. Highland PhD
{"title":"Psychiatric diagnosis receipt after low back pain diagnosis across the US Military Health System and Veterans Health Administration","authors":"Patricia K. Carreño MA , Monnique Johnson MD , Janiece L. Taylor PhD , Letitia E. Travaglini PhD , Alexander G. Velosky MHI , Leah M. Adams PhD , Krista B. Highland PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this retrospective observational cohort study was to evaluate psychiatric diagnosis receipt after low back pain (LBP) diagnosis across the US Military Health System (MHS) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Medical records (N = 197,925) of patients who received a LBP diagnosis March 2021 - March 2022 were analyzed. Primary outcomes were time-to-psychiatric diagnosis and diagnosis type within 1-year post-index LBP diagnosis. In a Poisson generalized additive model, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of psychiatric diagnosis were higher for patients with a female administrative gender marker (ref. male; 1.40; 95% CI 1.31–1.50); Black (ref. Non-Hispanic White; 1.35; 95% CI 1.29–1.42) and Hispanic (ref. Non-Hispanic White; 1.13; 95% CI 1.06–1.20) patients, and patients with co-occurring non-LBP pain (1.29; 95% CI 1.24–1.33) and nicotine dependence (1.14; 95% CI 1.05–1.25). IRRs were lower for patients with elevated CCI scores (0.89; 95% CI 0.79–1.00) and those diagnosed with obesity (0.91; 95% CI 0.85–0.96). A generalized linear model indicated the adjustment-related versus other psychiatric diagnosis odds ratio (OR) was higher for Black patients (1.18; 95% CI 1.05–1.31) and those with an obesity diagnosis (1.17; 95% CI 1.01, 1.35); and lower for retired service members (0.71; 95% CI 0.58–0.88) and Veterans (ref. active duty service member; 0.59; 95% CI 0.4–0.73), and patients with a female administrative gender marker (0.83; 95% CI 0.71–0.97). The present findings indicate variation in psychiatric diagnoses receipt among patients with LBP across the MHS and VHA, which warrant system-level interventions to improve timing and quality of care.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>Variation across both receipt and type of psychiatric diagnosis in military-connected patients within a year after low back pain diagnosis indicate further inquiry is needed to better understand mediators (e.g., differences in stigma, access to care) and impact of new policies (e.g., the Brandon Act).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 105441"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105429
Ingrid Bindicsova , Leanne M. Hides , Katherine Brain , Fiona J. Hodson , Paul Jackson , Mark P. Jensen , Dawn M. Ehde , Melissa A. Day
{"title":"Internet-delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (iMBCT) for chronic pain symptom management in adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial","authors":"Ingrid Bindicsova , Leanne M. Hides , Katherine Brain , Fiona J. Hodson , Paul Jackson , Mark P. Jensen , Dawn M. Ehde , Melissa A. Day","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to examine the feasibility of an internet delivered, self-directed mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (iMBCT) program compared to a delayed treatment (DT) control. This trial employed a 2-group parallel (1:1), design and was pre-registered (ANZCTR Identifier: 12623000833662). Participants were <em>N</em> = 48 adults with chronic pain, randomized into either the 4-week iMBCT program or the DT control. The feasibility indicators were treatment engagement, study retention, treatment acceptability, and at least a small within-condition pre- to post-treatment effect size change in pain intensity or interference. The primary outcome was change in pain intensity, and secondary outcomes were pain interference, depression, sleep disturbance, and positive and negative affect at post-treatment/DT (primary endpoint). A high degree of engagement with iMBCT was found, with participants reporting it acceptable and of benefit; retention rate (88%) was high. Within iMBCT, a small-to-medium effect size improvement in pain interference (<em>p</em> =.031, <em>d</em> = 0.48) was found, and change in pain intensity was small (<em>p</em> =.347, <em>d</em> =.20). Small-to-medium changes were found for the other secondary outcomes within iMBCT. Small-to-less than small effect sizes were observed within DT. These preliminary findings indicate iMBCT is a feasible, tolerable, and acceptable treatment for chronic pain, and may result in meaningful improvements in pain interference. Taken together, the results suggest iMBCT may have the capacity to overcome access barriers and provide individuals with chronic pain a much needed, evidence-based treatment to enhance pain self-management.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>This article presents the feasibility findings of an internet delivered, self-directed mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for chronic pain program. This novel digital platform may represent a scalable solution to increase access to critically needed chronic pain management services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 105429"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Journal of PainPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105434
Judy J. Yoo , Elizabeth K. Serafin , Mark L. Baccei
{"title":"Effects of perinatal iron deficiency on spinal dorsal horn circuits","authors":"Judy J. Yoo , Elizabeth K. Serafin , Mark L. Baccei","doi":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clinical association studies have identified early life iron deficiency (ID) as a risk factor for the development of chronic pain. ID during the perinatal period has long-term consequences for the developing nervous system. Mounting evidence from both clinical and preclinical studies suggests that ID alters pain perception. However, nothing is yet known about how perinatal ID impacts nociceptive circuitry. The present study sought to characterize the effects of ID on the spinal superficial dorsal horn (SDH). Using <em>ex vivo</em> patch clamp electrophysiology in a mouse model of perinatal ID, the excitability of inhibitory and putative excitatory interneurons in the SDH was measured. It was found that early life ID did not significantly change the intrinsic excitability of either interneuron cell type in adolescence or adulthood. The investigation of synaptic inputs onto these two populations revealed that ID modulates spontaneous glutamatergic transmission within the SDH, but did not affect the excitatory drive or balance of synaptic excitation and inhibition. Interestingly, while ID altered the pattern of primary afferent inputs onto presumed glutamatergic interneurons in the mature SDH, the overall efficacy of these synapses was not affected by ID. Collectively, these results suggest that spinal nociceptive circuits are resilient to change following perinatal ID.</div></div><div><h3>Perspective</h3><div>This study demonstrates that perinatal iron deficiency (ID) elicits few changes to the intrinsic membrane excitability of superficial dorsal horn neurons or the efficacy of their synaptic inputs. These findings represent a critical first step towards elucidating the effects of ID on nociceptive processing in the central nervous system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51095,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pain","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 105434"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}