Pain: Anatomy and Physiology

Abstract: Our understanding of the neural circuits underlying pain sensation has advanced significantly in the past decade. Potentially tissue-damaging stimuli activate peripheral receptors in all pain-sensitive tissues. This sets in motion a cascade of neural activity in the gray matter of the spinal cord. Ascending pathways activate the brain stem, thalamus, amygdala, and cortex leading to the sensation of pain. Separate pathways mediate the sensory and emotional or suffering components of pain. In addition to pain transmission, modulation of the pain message is an important function that is mediated by a set of neural circuits that are distinct from the transmission pathways. Modulatory pathways include those that can be activated by somatosensory stimuli, such as occurs with acupuncture and other pathways that mediate the effects of psychological factors and analgesic medications.

Zurück | Weiter