A translational approach for understanding hyperalgesia: What has the high-frequency electrical stimulation model taught us?

This Mini-Review is based on the following article: Meijs S, Andreis FR, Janjua TAM, Graven-Nielsen T, Jensen W. High-frequency electrical stimulation increases cortical excitability and mechanical sensitivity in a chronic large animal model. . August 13, 2024. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003354. High-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of C-fiber nociceptors induces long-term potentiation (LTP) at the first spinal synapse. This spinal LTP is believed to play a role in the amplification of pain. However, the effects of HFS are probably not restricted to the spinal cord. This study by Meijs et al. (2024) showed that HFS increases cortical responses to noxious stimuli in a porcine model. Are these increased cortical responses a correlate of spinal LTP and do we observe the same in humans?