Neuroscience of pain and analgesia

Question 1

transduction

Answer 1

1st step of sensory pathway - changing noxious thermal, mechanical or chemical stimuli to relevant neural electrophysiological signals

-inward Na+, K+ or CA2+ current. conductance threshold for NA+ reached this leads to activation of the voltage gated Na+ channels

Question 2

arachidonic acid

Answer 2

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Question 3

inflammatory cascade

Answer 3

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Question 4

A delta fibers

Answer 4

small, thinly myelinated, conduction velocities in range of 5-30m/s - rapid. first pain, sharp, localized and well defined. have small receptive fields and are relatively modality specific.

Question 5

c-fibers

Answer 5

small unmyelinated, broader receptive fields, and slow conduction (0.5-2m/s) second pain, dull, burning, throbbing, gnawing sensation, multimodal triggers,