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Abstract
The neuropeptide galanin has wide distribution in the nervous system and has a role in diverse functions, such as pain modulation and behavioral responses to stress. A major mechanism of galanins actions in the brain is modulation of catecholamine signaling. This has implications for conditions characterized by aberrant dopamine and norepinephrine activity, such as anxiety and depression. Galanin is also involved in pain modulation and emerging evidence suggests that it partially mediates the relationship between conditions of chronic inflammatory pain and depression. Dysregulation of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway is also implicated in the comorbidity of chronic inflammatory pain and depression. The following chapters provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that mesolimbic dopamine dysregulation underlies motivational deficits associated with chronic inflammatory pain. Furthermore, we provide further support for the role of galanin in modulating behavioral changes associated with stress and chronic inflammatory pain.