Role in Naloxone-induced Morphine Withdrawal
The nucleus raphes dorsalis has also been implicated in naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. It is known that endogenous opioid receptors exist on the nucleus raphes dorsalis, and that it is a focal point as an ascending and descending regulator. Pourshanazari et al. showed in their 2000 paper that electrical stimulation of the nucleus raphes dorsalis can partially alleviate morphine withdrawal symptoms via electrical stimulation of the raphe nucleus in question.
These are fascinating results; however no control was provided for the spread of electrical charge to other parts of the brain stem. It is quite possible that the charge spread to the nucleus raphes magnus and induced analgesia upon the rats. Knowing that the spread of charge across such a short area is very plausible, as is an alternate connection to the raphe magnus, these results could be called into question.
Read more about this topic: Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
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