Cynthia L. Renn, PhD, RN
Professor and Department Chair
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Research Interests
My research focus is on gaining insight into the physiological mechanisms that underlie the
- development of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.
- development of aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia.
- development of chronic pain following a lower limb fracture in trauma patients.
- differential responses to acute experimental pain in the Old Order Amish.
The overarching goal of my research is to identify new therapeutic targets or strategies that will improve our ability to manage chronic pain in the clinical setting.
Research Approaches
- Preclinical Research: generating mouse models of chronic pain, behavioral testing (nocifensive, anxiety, stress, gait, neuromuscular), in vivo extracellular electrophysiological recording in the SDH of mice, peripheral neurophysiology (current perception threshold testing, nerve conduction velocity testing)
- Clinical: testing of gait, balance, grip strength, current perception threshold, thermal sensory threshold, thermal pain threshold, temporal summation, conditioned pain modulation, pressure pain threshold, von Frey filament sensory threshold, sharp/dull differentiation, vibration.
ORCID ID 0000-0001-6764-9347
Publications
- Griffith KA, Dorsey SG, Renn CL, Zhu S, Johantgen ME, Cornblath DR, Argyriou AA, Cavaletti G, MD, Merkies ISJ, Alberti P, Postma TJ, Rossi E, Frigeni F, Bruna J, Velasco R, Kalofonos HP, Psimaras D, Ricard D, Pace A, Galie E, Briani C, Dalla Torre C, Faber CG, Lalisang RI, Boogerd W, Brandsma D, Koeppen S, Hense J, Storey DJ, Kerrigan S, Schenone A, Fabbri S, Valsecchi MG, and the **CI-PeriNomS Group. Correspondence between neurophysiological and clinical measurements of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: secondary analysis of data from theCI-PeriNoms study. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 2014;19(2):127-135.
- Quartu M, Carozzi VA, Dorsey SG, Serra MP, Poddighe L, Picci C, Boi M, Del Fiacco M, Chiorazzi A, Renn CL, Cavaletti G, Marmiroli P. Bortezomib treatment produces nocifensive behavior and changes in the expression of TRPV1, CGRP and Substance P in the rat DRG, spinal cord and sciatic nerve. Biomed Research International: Toxicology, 2014; 2014:180428.
- Griffith KA, Couture DJ, Zhu S, Pandya N, Johantgen ME, Cavaletti G, Davenport JM, Tanguay LJ, Choflet A, Milliron T, Glass E, Gambill N, Renn CL, Dorsey SG. Evaluation of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy using Current Perception Threshold and Clinical Evaluations. J Supp Care Cancer, 2014; 22(5):1161-1169.
- Carozzi VA, Renn CL, Bardini M, Fazio G, Chiorazzi A, Meregalli C, Oggioni N, Shanks K, Quartu M, Serra MP, Sala B, Cavaletti G, Dorsey SG. Bortezomib-induced painful peripheral neuropathy: An electrophysiological, morphological and mechanistic study in the mouse. PLoS One, 2013; 8:e72995.
- Renn CL,< Leitch CC, Lessans S, Rhee P, McGuire WC, Smith BA, Traub RJ, Dorsey SG. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulates antiretroviral-induced mechanical allodynia in the mouse. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 2011; 89(10):1551-1565.
- Renn CL, Carozzi VA, Rhee P, Gallop D, Dorsey SG, Cavaletti G. Multimodal assessment of painful peripheral neuropathy induced by chronic oxaliplatin-based therapy in mice. Molecular Pain, 2011; 7:29.
