NEUROtiker [Public domain] via Wikimedia CommonsMorphine is often used to treat pain after surgery. Although it is an effective painkiller, it can also work against itself by exciting glial cells in the brain, thus intensifying pain. To evaluate the potential for perioperative administration of morphine to prolong postoperative pain, a research team from the University of Colorado Boulder, led by Peter Grace and Erika Galer, studied rats that were given morphine for various amounts of time before or after laparotomy.
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