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Opioid Electrophysiology in PAG

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Encyclopedia of Pain

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Synonyms

Periaqueductal grey; periaqueductal gray; central grey; Central Gray/Central Grey; opiate

Definition

The midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) is one of the major brain targets for the analgesic actions of opioid drugs and endogenously released opioids. The PAG contributes to a descending inhibitory neural network. When PAG output neurons are activated, nociceptive neurotransmission at the level of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is inhibited. Opioids are thought to produce analgesia in the PAG by a disinhibitory mechanism via direct inhibition of GABAergic neurotransmission impinging on descending output neurons.

Characteristics

The PAG, as the name suggests, is a cell dense region surrounding the cerebral aqueduct extending from the third ventricle to the pontine division of the fourth ventricle. Anatomical, physiological and behavioural studies all indicate that the PAG is organized into distinct functional columns that extend along the rostrocaudal axis. The different...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pain Management Research Institute and Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    MacDonald J. Christie & P.B. Osborne

Authors
  1. MacDonald J. Christie
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  2. P.B. Osborne
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Christie, M., Osborne, P. (2007). Opioid Electrophysiology in PAG. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2947

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2947

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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