Cdk5 inhibition has been previously tried for the treatment of neuropathic pain (Yang et al., 2014) but Cdk5′s numerous other functions (Shah and Rossie, 2017) render this strategy unlikely to reach acceptable pain relief in absence of unacceptable off-target effects such as memory impairment (Li et al., 2001, Sherry and Crowe, 2008). This evidence concerns the gene CDK5 and memory impairment.