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The partial saphenous nerve injury model of pain impairs reward-related learning but not reward sensitivity or motivation

Phelps, Caroline E.; Lumb, Bridget M.; Donaldson, Lucy F.; Robinson, Emma S.

The partial saphenous nerve injury model of pain impairs reward-related learning but not reward sensitivity or motivation Thumbnail


Authors

Caroline E. Phelps

Bridget M. Lumb

Lucy F. Donaldson

Emma S. Robinson



Abstract

Chronic pain is highly comorbid with affective disorders, including major depressive disorder. A core feature of major depressive disorder is a loss of interest in previously rewarding activities. Major depressive disorder is also associated with negative affective biases where cognitive processes are modulated by the affective state. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that reward-related learning and memory is impaired in rodent models of depression generated through a variety of different manipulations. This study investigated different aspects of reward-related behaviour in a rodent model of chronic pain, the partial saphenous nerve injury (PSNI). Using our reward-learning assay, an impairment in reward learning was observed with no difference in sucrose preference, consistent with a lack of effect on reward sensitivity and similar to the effects seen in depression models. In a successive negative contrast task, chronic pain was not associated with changes in motivation for reward either under normal conditions or when reward was devalued although both sham and PSNI groups exhibited the expected negative contrast effect. In the affective bias test, PSNI rats developed a positive affective bias when treated with gabapentin, an effect not seen in the controls suggesting an association with the antinociceptive effects of the drug inducing a relatively more positive affective state. Together, these data suggest that there are changes in reward-related cognition in this chronic pain model consistent with previous findings in rodent models of depression. The effects seen with gabapentin suggest that pain-associated negative affective state may be remediated by this atypical analgesic.

Citation

Phelps, C. E., Lumb, B. M., Donaldson, L. F., & Robinson, E. S. (2021). The partial saphenous nerve injury model of pain impairs reward-related learning but not reward sensitivity or motivation. PAIN, 162(3), 956-966. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002177

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 15, 2020
Online Publication Date Mar 1, 2021
Publication Date 2021-03
Deposit Date Aug 4, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Pain
Print ISSN 0304-3959
Electronic ISSN 1872-6623
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 162
Issue 3
Pages 956-966
DOI https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002177
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5820201
Publisher URL https://journals.lww.com/pain/Fulltext/2021/03000/The_partial_saphenous_nerve_injury_model_of_pain.31.aspx

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