Neonatal procedural pain: role of descending serotonergic projections

When a baby is born prematurely or ill, they may require intensive care and be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. During their admission, they are exposed to 10 to 15 painful procedures per day as part of life-saving medical care. These procedures are not only painful in the moment, but may also change the development of the brain, and in particular alter pain sensitivity and anxiety in adulthood. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the acute and long-term effects of neonatal pain, focusing on the role of the serotonin system. It maps out the impact of pain in early life on the anatomy of the serotonin pain system, pain sensitivity and anxiety. Next, a treatment using drugs that target the serotonin system was used to provide acute and long-term pain management. The studies presented in this thesis provide a scientific basis for optimized treatment of pain in neonates in a clinical setting.