Neuropathic Pain Causes a Decrease in the Dendritic Tree Complexity of Hippocampal CA3 Pyramidal Neurons.

The International Pain Association defines neuropathic pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage." Recent studies show that chronic neuropathic pain causes both morphological and functional changes within brain structures. Due to the impact of supraspinal centers on pain signal processing, patients with chronic pain often suffer from depression, anxiety, memory impairment, and learning disabilities.