A study suggests that electrical stimulation of the median nerve via the Neiguan (PC6) acupoint in mice produces an analgesic effect by triggering release of the neuropeptide orexin from the hypothalamus into a pain-control region of the midbrain, leading to reduced inhibitory control in this region; this analgesic effect depended upon endocannabinoid receptors, but not opioid receptors, suggesting that median nerve stimulation might be effective for pain management in opioid-tolerant patients.
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Article #18-07991: "Median nerve stimulation induces analgesia via orexininitiated endocannabinoid disinhibition in the periaqueductal gray," by Yi-Hung Chen et al .
MEDIA CONTACT: Lih-Chu Chiou, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TAIWAN; ; e-mail: lcchiou@ntu.edu.tw
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences