Neurobehavioral Disorders: The Corticolimbic System in Health and Disease

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2020 Sep;50(5):1157-1181. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2020.06.009. Epub 2020 Jul 14.

Abstract

The corticolimbic system (prefrontal cortices, amygdala, and hippocampus) integrates emotion with cognition and produces a behavioral output that is flexible based on the environmental circumstances. It also modulates pain, being implicated in pathophysiology of maladaptive pain. Because of the anatomic and function overlap between corticolimbic circuitry for pain and emotion, the pathophysiology for maladaptive pain conditions is extremely complex. Addressing environmental needs and underlying triggers is more important than pharmacotherapy when dealing with feline orofacial pain syndrome or feline hyperesthesia syndrome. By contrast, autoimmune limbic encephalitis requires prompt diagnosis and management with immunosuppression and seizure control.

Keywords: Feline hyperaesthesia; Feline orofacial pain; Limbic encephalitis; Mutilation; Neuropathic itch; Neuropathic pain; Temporal lobe epilepsy; Trigeminal neuralgia.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases / physiopathology
  • Autoimmune Diseases / veterinary*
  • Cat Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Cats
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology
  • Facial Pain / physiopathology
  • Facial Pain / veterinary*
  • Limbic Encephalitis / physiopathology
  • Limbic Encephalitis / veterinary*
  • Limbic System / physiology
  • Neurologic Examination / veterinary

Supplementary concepts

  • Autoimmune limbic encephalitis