A brain circuit linking sleep loss to pain
Published on October 15, 2026
Trends Neurosci. 2026 Oct 14:S0166-2236(26)00192-X. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2026.09.010. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Sleep loss heightens pain sensitivity, but the brain circuits involved remain unclear. In a recent study, Huang, Wang, Jiao, and colleagues identified a pathway connecting the retrosplenial cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and zona incerta that contributes to heightened sensitivity to mechanical stimulation and heat after sleep deprivation in male mice.
PMID:42875277 | DOI:10.1016/j.tins.2026.09.010