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.