Pain

Question 1

Define pain.

Answer 1

An unpleasant sensory and emotional expereince associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage

Question 2

What is nociception?

Answer 2

It is the process by which neural information about actual or potental tissue damage is relayed from the site of stimulation to the CNS which is then percieved as pain snesation.

Question 3

nociception

Answer 3

activation of nociceptor by perception of potentially damaging noxious stimulus

Question 4

allodynia

Answer 4

sensitivity to typically non-noxious stimuli

Question 5

hyperalgesia

Answer 5

intensity or duration not in proportion with stimulus

Question 6

analgesia

Answer 6

reduction/absense of pain (peripherally or centrally)

Question 7

anesthesia

Answer 7

loss of many sensory modalities, leaving the area “insensate”

Question 8

somatic pain

Answer 8

pathologic conditions of body tissues

Question 9

paresthesia

Answer 9

any abnormal sensation (not always painful)

Question 10

dysesthesia

Answer 10

painful paresthesia (i.e. burning neuropathy)

Question 11

lancinating pain

Answer 11

“cutting”, sharp stabbing pain

Question 12

phantom pain

Answer 12

pain felt in part of the body that has been surgically removed

Question 13

referred pain

Answer 13

pain felt in an area other than where the noxious stimulus originated

Question 14

central pain

Answer 14

primary lesion in CNS, originates in CNS

Question 15

peripheral pain

Answer 15

originates in tissues, peripheral nerves

Question 16

What do free nerve endings detect? (3)

Answer 16

1. physcial damage
2. chemical damage
3. temperature damage

Question 17

What fibers transmit nociception?

Answer 17

C-fibers and A-delta fibers

Question 18

What fibers transmit other somatosensation besides nociception?

Answer 18

A-beta fibers

Question 19

Describe C, A-delta, and A-beta fibers and the type of nociceptive signals they send.

Answer 19

C fibers: small, unmyelinated (slowest)…dull, throbbing, aching, burning, and tingling pain

A-delta fibers: small, myelinated (slow)…sharp, stabbing, pricking pain

A-beta fibers: large myelinated (fast)

Question 20

What are the implications of the spinothalamic tract?

Answer 20

1. as the information signal travels along this pathway, processing of signal occurs
2. results in ultimate conscious awareness of pain in cerebral cortex

Question 21

peripheral sensitization

Answer 21

nociceptive signal initiated by non-noxious stimulus

(acutely can be normal)

(chronically is maladaptive and problematic)

Question 22

How can nociceptive signal transmission be modulated in the spinal cord?

Answer 22

1. facilitation: may increase pain experience
2. inhibition: may decrease pain experience

Question 23

What can modulate nociceptive signaling in the brain?

Answer 23

In the brain nociceptive info is dispersed to various areas to influence interpretation of pain, motor response, and homeostatic response

Cognition, emotion, social, and contextual factors can influence the processing as the brain evolves, adapts over time, and perception/pain expereince may change

Question 24

What are the 3 aspects of the “Mature Organisms Model”?

Answer 24

1. the body samples the environment
2. the brain then scrutinises the sample
3. it then ssend output to alter behavior and physiology