Dr Ruth Drdla-schutting
European neuroscience institute
Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENI-NET)
Spain
Biography
Dr Ruth Drdla-Schutting Medical University of Vienna – The European Neuroscience Institute - Medical University of Vienna
Research Interest
My general research interests are in the spinal cord mechanisms underlying chronic pain. My current work explores the action of opioids on synaptic plasticity at synapses in the superficial layers of the spinal cord dorsal horn. The synapses in the superficial laminae of the spinal cord dorsal horn play a prominent role in the transmission of nociceptive information from the periphery to the brain. At these synapses, synaptic strength can be modified in the development of chronic pain. Several plastic changes can occur at these synapses, resulting in an altered response to both noxious and innocuous stimuli. One mechanism of synaptic plasticity thought to underlie the development of enhanced pain sensitivity is synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP).
