Evolutionary Neuroanatomy of Nociceptive and Stress-Response Circuits Across Species

Due to its adaptive value, the ability to detect and respond to potentially harmful stimuli is among the most evolutionarily conserved functions of the nervous system. Across a wide range of taxa, from invertebrates to vertebrates, the neuroanatomical organization of nociceptive processing and physiological stress responses are closely interconnected. Potentially harmful or threatening stimuli engage neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral stress-response circuits, while acute and chronic stress can significantly reshape the structural and functional organization of nociceptive pathways and defensive circuits. Although the specific circuits and cell types involved vary across species, this bidirectional relationship reflects a fundamental structural principle whereby threat detection, physiological adaptation, and behavioral defense are coordinated through conserved anatomical substrates across multiple levels of organization.All contributions to this Research Topic should include a substantial neuroanatomical, morphological, or circuit-mapping component, which may be complemented by molecular, physiological, or behavioral data. We particularly welcome submissions that apply modern quantitative neuroanatomy, connectomics, tissue clearing, spatial omics, or advanced 3D imaging and reconstruction to map these systems.Despite the clinical and biological significance of this relationship, our understanding of the anatomical, cellular, and circuit-level architecture linking nociception and stress remains incomplete. Which neural circuits and cell types integrate threat information to generate coordinated physiological and behavioral responses? What is the anatomical organization of the pathways connecting nociceptive and stress-response systems? How are endogenous opioid, neuropeptide, and neuromodulatory circuits structurally organized at the pain-stress interface? To what extent are the circuit architectures underlying these processes conserved across species?This Research Topic aims to bring together contributions addressing these questions through neuroanatomical, molecular, physiological, neuroendocrine, and behavioral approaches, provided each study is grounded in structural or circuit-level analysis. Contributions employing traditional mammalian models alongside non-traditional vertebrate (e.g., fish, amphibians, reptiles, or birds) and invertebrate (e.g., insects, crustaceans, cephalopods) models are strongly encouraged.We also encourage submissions examining both male and female subjects, developmental or ageing-related effects, or clinically relevant comorbidities, provided these are anchored in anatomical or circuit-level findings. Contributions addressing the neuroanatomical substrates of the cognitive and affective dimensions of pain and stress are equally encouraged, including the circuit basis of learning, memory, judgment bias, emotional states, aversion, and behavioral adaptation.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Molecular and morphological characterization of the cell types and circuits regulating nociceptive sensitivity and stress reactivity• Neural circuit mechanisms integrating nociceptive and stress-related information across species• Structural and circuit-level correlates of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the context of stress-induced and central sensitization• Neuroanatomical substrates underlying the cognitive and affective dimensions of pain and stress: judgment bias, emotional valence, and anticipatory responses• Early life stress and its lasting effects on nociceptive circuit organization and glial cell architecture• Sex differences in the anatomical and circuit-level organization of pain and stress processing• Neuroendocrine, opioid, and neuromodulatory circuits at the interface between nociception and stress responses• Developmental and ageing-related changes in the structural organization of nociceptive and stress-response systems• Comparative neuroanatomy of pain- and stress-related circuits across vertebrate taxa• Neuroanatomical distribution of neuropeptide and neuromodulatory systems (neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, vasopressin, etc.) related to nociception and stress responses• Glial contributions to the pain-stress axis, including microglial plasticity and astrocytic modulation• Structural and circuit-level alterations in the pain-stress axis in chronic pain and anxiety-related disordersUnderstanding how nociceptive and stress-response circuits interact remains one of the central challenges in contemporary neuroanatomy. Through the integration of neuroanatomical, molecular, physiological, and behavioral perspectives across diverse animal taxa, this Research Topic aims to identify evolutionarily conserved circuit principles linking nociception and stress responses and to stimulate new translational and comparative approaches for understanding disorders in which they become dysregulated. Topic editors: Jose Vicente Torres Perez, Felipe Espigares, Julio César Morales-Medina, Maria Abellán Álvaro, M. Victoria Alvarado Fernández Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83779/evolutionary-neuroanatomy-of-nociceptive-and-stress-response-circuits-across-species