Enhanced Pain Sensitization Induced by Chronic Sleep Deprivation: The Role of Dopamine D2 Receptors-Dependent Homer1a Protein

Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation
between
sleep disorders and hyperalgesia. These sleep disorders adversely
affect the descending pain regulatory system. Researchers have extensively
studied the midbrain dopamine system in relation to pain associated
with sleep disturbances. Our study shows that chronic sleep deprivation
decreases dopamine responses to noxious stimuli within the mouse nucleus
accumbens, regulated by dopamine release and intracellular signals.
Furthermore, we confirmed that the dopamine D2 receptors
play a critical role in the pain associated with chronic sleep deprivation.
Importantly, we revealed that homer1a in D2 receptor neurons
enhances AMPA receptors expression.