Glial activation and nociceptive neuropeptide elevation associated with the development of chronic post-traumatic headache following repetitive blast exposure

Chronic headaches and pain are prevalent in those who are exposure to blast events, yet there is a gap in fundamental data that identifies the pathological mechanism for the chronification of pain. Blast-related post-traumatic headaches (PTH) are understudied and chronic pain behaviors in preclinical models can be vital to help elucidate PTH mechanisms. The descending pain modulatory system controls pain perception and involves specific brain regions such as the cortex, thalamus, pons, and medulla. In this study, male rats were exposed to repeated blast events to induce traumatic brain injury (bTBI) and subsequently assessed for the development of PTH by testing for chronic pain behaviors and examining the neuropathology of the descending pain pathway. The results demonstrated that facial hypersensitivity developed as early as week two following bTBI and persisted throughout the study (12 weeks). Depressive-like behaviors were observed at 12 weeks following bTBI, and these behaviors were associated with neuropathologies such as microglia ramification and neuropeptide elevation (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide, CGRP; Substance P, SP). Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that bTBI causes the activation of microglia and elevation of neuropeptides, which contribute to the development of chronic PTH behaviors.