Early life inflammation is associated with spinal cord excitability and nociceptive sensitivity in human infants

Maria M. Cobo; Gabrielle Green; Foteini Andritsou; Luke Baxter; Ria Evans Fry; Annika Grabbe; Deniz Gursul; Amy Hoskin; Gabriela Schmidt Mellado; Marianne van der Vaart; Eleri Adams; Aomesh Bhatt; Franziska Denk; Caroline Hartley; Rebeccah Slater

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31505-y

Nature Communications (Jul 2022)

Early life inflammation is associated with spinal cord excitability and nociceptive sensitivity in human infants

Maria M. Cobo,
Gabrielle Green,
Foteini Andritsou,
Luke Baxter,
Ria Evans Fry,
Annika Grabbe,
Deniz Gursul,
Amy Hoskin,
Gabriela Schmidt Mellado,
Marianne van der Vaart,
Eleri Adams,
Aomesh Bhatt,
Franziska Denk,
Caroline Hartley,
Rebeccah Slater

Affiliations

Maria M. Cobo: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Gabrielle Green: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Foteini Andritsou: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Luke Baxter: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Ria Evans Fry: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Annika Grabbe: Paracelsus Medical University
Deniz Gursul: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Amy Hoskin: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Gabriela Schmidt Mellado: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Marianne van der Vaart: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Eleri Adams: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Aomesh Bhatt: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Franziska Denk: Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London
Caroline Hartley: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford
Rebeccah Slater: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31505-y
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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More than 1 in 10 babies born in the UK are suspected of having an infection. Here the authors show that newborn babies with signs of infection (raised C-Reactive Protein levels) have exaggerated leg reflexes and pain-related brain activity following a heel prick blood test, suggesting they may be more sensitive to pain.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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