Cutaneous senses 2

Question 1

What is the function of pain perception

Answer 1

-Congenital pain insensitivity(reported by Baxter and Olszewski)

Question 2

What are the categories of pain?

Answer 2

1) Nociceptive
2) Inflammatory
3) Neuropathic (damage to nerves)

Question 3

What are the 2 dimensions of pain experience?

Answer 3

• Affective (emotion)

- Discriminative (location, intensity)

Question 4

What are pain thresholds affected by?

Answer 4

• Amount of painful stimulation
• Distribution of stimulation
• Concurrent stimulation of another non -painful but intense cutaneous sensation
• Counterirritation (muscle pain)
• Gender (maybe)

Question 5

What is pain signaled by?

Answer 5

Nociceptor

Question 6

What are the 2 types of nociceptive fibers?

Answer 6

1) The fast A-delta fibers (respond strongly mechanical stimulation or thermal stimulation)
2) The slow/ C-fibers (respond to chemical stimulation)

Question 7

What areas of the brain are activated from the pain perception?

Answer 7

The somatosensory cortex, thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, hippocampus

Question 8

How can pain be reduced?

Answer 8

• Certain analgesic drugs (including opioids such as heroin)

- Expectation, belief, or distraction

Question 9

What is a phantom limb?

Answer 9

The sense that an amputated limb is still attached to the body

Question 10

How does the mirror box reduce phantom pain?

Answer 10

It creates the illusion that the phantom hand has been resurrected. (massive emotional release, doesn’t have a negative effect)