Opioid drugs are widely used as pain killers, are often abused, and can lead to severe side-effects including addiction and respiratory depression that can be lethal with overdose. Respiratory depression occurs due to opioid effects on the brainstem circuits controlling breathing. Although substantial progress has been made in recent years, the identity of the neural circuits mediating respiratory depression is not known. In addition, the sub-cellular pathways and second messengers of neuronal inhibition by opioid drugs have been extensively studied, but not in the context of respiratory depression.

This Research Topic aims to collect the most recent advances in our understanding of opioid-induced respiratory depression including, but not limited to, the physiological effects of opioid drugs on breathing, the underlying neuronal circuits, and the sub-cellular pathways. By understanding these mechanisms, new therapies can be developed to help mitigate opioid effects on breathing. This topic also welcomes studies proposing new therapeutic solutions to prevent, reverse or treat respiratory depression by opioid drugs without reversing the beneficial, analgesic effect.

We welcome studies investigating the impact of opioid drugs on respiratory physiology and neuronal function, pharmacology of opioid drugs, neuroanatomy of opioid receptors and other related receptors. This includes animal models, in vitro and in silico studies using a variety of neurophysiological and electrophysiological techniques in the context of respiration.

We are interested in papers that focus on a range of disease states and pathophysiological states that are relevant to opiod effects on the respiratory system, including, but not limited to, acute and critical care settings, chronic diseases and their treatment and diagnosis (eg, exercise tolerance in COPD), and sleep disordered breathing.

Topic Editor Dr. Gaspard Montandon is under contracts with a private company on projects unrelated to the topic. Topic Editors Dr. Levitt and Dr. Stucke do not have any conflicts of interest to declare.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Physiology

Participating Journals

Impact