Allen C. Dickie

The paper identifies neurons in the lateral spinal nucleus as the primary source of the spinotectal component of the anterolateral system in mice, linking them to head movement and itch responses.

The paper identifies cold-selective lamina I spinal projection neurons and their connections to brain regions involved in thermosensation.

The paper re-examines the expression and projection patterns of Tacr1 and Gpr83 in spinal projection neurons, finding greater overlap and VPL connectivity than previously reported.

The paper characterizes somatostatin-expressing neurons in the anterolateral system, showing their axonal projections and suggesting a role in the affective-motivational dimension of pain.

The paper uses single-nucleus RNA sequencing to identify five distinct classes of anterolateral system neurons in the adult mouse spinal cord and their laminar distribution.

This study shows that NPY-expressing inhibitory interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn reduce pain and itch behaviors, suggesting they are potential targets for treating pathological pain and itch.

The paper identifies that excitatory and inhibitory parvalbumin interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn form distinct circuits and that excitatory interneurons contribute to mechanical hypersensitivity under pathological conditions.