Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 37 No. 2, 2025.
Other
https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2025.235
A simplistic perspective on the complex relationship between schizophrenia and pain from dopamine excess
Takahiko Nagamine
orcid.org/0000-0002-0690-6271
; Sunlight Brain Research Center, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan ; Department of Psychosomatic Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by a paradoxical pain experience: the threshold for nociceptive pain is high, while the threshold
for nociplastic pain is low. This phenomenon involves mesolimbic dopamine excess. Increased dopamine stimulates descending pain
inhibitory pathways, alleviating nociceptive pain. However, dopamine excess induces changes in the large-scale brain network that
generates nociplastic pain. This imbalance of monoamines, which is characteristic of schizophrenia, influences both psychotic symptoms
and the unique pain paradox. Our results suggest that modulating dopamine levels appropriately may normalize pain thresholds
and improve quality of life.
Keywords
default mode network; descending pain inhibitory pathway; mesolimbic dopamine; nociceptive pain; nociplastic pain; schizophrenia
Hrčak ID:
335975
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2025.
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