{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T02:48:57Z","timestamp":1788922137412,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751846400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Houston","award":["G-53191"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["G-53191"]}]},{"name":"University of Houston","award":["23H05450 (J.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23H05450 (J.O.)"]}]},{"name":"University of Houston","award":["24K02786 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24K02786 (M.O.)"]}]},{"name":"University of Houston","award":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI","award":["G-53191"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["G-53191"]}]},{"name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI","award":["23H05450 (J.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23H05450 (J.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI","award":["24K02786 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24K02786 (M.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI","award":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan","award":["G-53191"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["G-53191"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan","award":["23H05450 (J.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["23H05450 (J.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan","award":["24K02786 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24K02786 (M.O.)"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan","award":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22KK0180 (M.O.)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The neurobiology of chronic pain is complex and multifaceted, intertwining with the mesocorticolimbic system to regulate the behavioral and perceptional response to adverse stimuli. Specifically, the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the dopaminergic hub of the reward pathways located deep within the midbrain, is crucial for regulating the release of dopamine (DA) throughout the central nervous system (CNS). To better understand the nuances among chronic pain, VTA response, and therapeutics, implementing progressive approaches for mapping and visualizing the deep brain in real time during nociceptive stimulation is crucial. In this study, we utilize a fluorescence imaging platform with a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP6s) to directly visualize activity in the VTA during acute nociceptive stimulation in both healthy adult mice and adult mice with partial nerve ligation (PNL)-induced neuropathic pain. We also investigate the visualization of the analgesic properties of morphine. Deep brain imaging using our self-fabricated \u00b5-complementary metal\u2013oxide\u2013semiconductor (CMOS) imaging device allows the tracking of the VTA\u2019s response to adverse stimuli. Our findings show that nociceptive stimulation is associated with a reduction in VTA fluorescence activity, supporting the potential of this platform for visualizing pain-related responses in the central nervous system. Additionally, treatment with morphine significantly reduces the neuronal response caused by mechanical stimuli and is observable using the CMOS imaging platform, demonstrating a novel way to potentially assess and treat neuropathic pain.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26136526","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]],"date-time":"2025-07-07T08:58:23Z","timestamp":1751878703000},"page":"6526","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Mapping Morphine\u2019s Antinociceptive Impact on the Ventral Tegmental Area During Nociceptive Stimulation: A Novel Microimaging Approach in a Neuropathic Pain Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1413-5742","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Austin","family":"Ganaway","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Airi","family":"Kamata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dunyan","family":"Yao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kazuto","family":"Sakoori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3496-919X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ryoma","family":"Okada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0101, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ting","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0333-4626","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasumi","family":"Ohta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0101, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8194-9020","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jun","family":"Ohta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0101, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Masahiro","family":"Ohsawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2988-4669","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Metin","family":"Akay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1753-6293","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasemin M.","family":"Akay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"844","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2234","article-title":"Synaptic Plasticity and Addiction","volume":"8","author":"Kauer","year":"2007","journal-title":"Nat. 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