If a patient experiences chronic pain due to increased substance P release from nociceptors following nerve damage, which consequence involving descending modulation is most likely?

💡 Explanation

Reduced inhibitory interneuron activity is likely because chronic substance P release overwhelms the gate control mechanism in the spinal cord. This excess activity diminishes the effectiveness of descending modulation from the brain, therefore lessening inhibitory influence, rather than enhancing it, allowing pain signals to ascend more readily.

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