Pain

Question 1

Pain is subjective and can be influenced by… (3)

Answer 1

Gender, Ethnicity, Personality

Question 2

A physical source of pain with no perception of pain

Answer 2

Congenital Analgesia

Question 3

What pathways are involved with pain?

Answer 3

Ascending & Descending

Question 4

Nociceptors are pain receptors that respond to 3 types of pain:

Answer 4

Mechanical, Temperature & Chemical

Question 5

Mechanical Nociceptors respond to:

Answer 5

Potentially damaging pressure or touch

Question 6

Temperature Nociceptors respond to:

Answer 6

Extremes of heat & cold

Question 7

Chemical Nociceptors respond to:

Answer 7

Noxious chemicals, including those released by the skin itself during injury

Question 8

Nociceptors can also be: (2)

Answer 8

Unimodal & Polymodal

Question 9

Unimodal Nociceptors respond to:

Answer 9

Only one type of pain sensation

Question 10

Polymodal Nociceptors respond to:

Answer 10

multiple stimuli

Question 11

Unimodal Nociceptors have a _____ threshold for stimulation, leading to a _____ response and _____ neural signal

Answer 11

Lower, Rapid, Short

Question 12

Polymodal Nociceptors have a ____ threshold for activation but a _____ neural response.

Answer 12

Higher, Sustained

Question 13

A Nociceptor is the (number)? part of the ascending pathway

Answer 13

2nd part, after the stimulus.

Question 14

What are the two areas involved with the Descending Pathways? (2)

Answer 14

Periaqueductal Grey (PAG) & Rostral Ventromedial Medulla (RVM)

Question 15

What do descending pathways potentially do?

Answer 15

Can influence perception of pain coming into the CNS via the ascending pathway

Question 16

What do the two descending pathway areas contain? (2)

Answer 16

1. High concentrations of opioid receptors
2. Endogenous opioids

Question 17

What does analgesic mean?

Answer 17

A medicine that relieves pain.

Question 18

Descending pathways are also…

Answer 18

Monoaminergic

Question 19

What do descending pathways use as neurotransmitters? (2)

Answer 19

Serotonin & Noradrenaline

Question 20

What is battlefield analgesia (descending pathways)?

Answer 20

Where soldiers receive severe injuries with little immediate awareness of pain - meaning there’s increased pain threshold

Question 21

Psychological pain (stress/anxiety) can ______ pain

Answer 21

Exacerbate / make worse

Question 22

Where is Substance P found?

Answer 22

In the brain and spinal cord

Question 23

What is substance P associated with? (2)

Answer 23

Inflammatory processes & pain

Question 24

Intense pain is signalled by the release of… (2)

Answer 24

Glutamate & the neuromodulator substance P

Question 25

Injecting Substance P into the spinal cord will lead to…

Answer 25

The perception of intense pain in the area of the body that sends pain signals to that section of the spinal cord

Question 26

What does Monoaminergic mean?

Answer 26

Working on monoamine neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, dopamine etc)

Question 27

Examples of monoaminergic neurotransmitters: (3)

Answer 27

Serotonin, Dopamine, Histamine

Question 28

What does the gate control theory (1965) explain?

Answer 28

The underlying mechanism by which painful sensations can be reduced by activating a non-painful sensation.

Question 29

What is the substantia gelatinosa?

Answer 29

A grey matter structure of the dorsal spinal cord which modulates sensory information coming in from primary neurons.

Question 30

In Gate Control Theory, pain signal is transferred from the primary neuron to the secondary neuron via?

Answer 30

Neurotransmitters like Substance P & Glutamate

Question 31

When excitatory neurotransmitters are released to the secondary neuron, they bind to receptors, it causes…

Answer 31

EPSP’s - Excitatory Post-Synaptic Potentials in the membrane of the 2ndry neuron

Question 32

What happens in the substantia gelatinosa?

Answer 32

The primary neuron synapses with the secondary neuron

Question 33

Where in the body can pain be interrupted (like a gate)?

Answer 33

Substantia Gelatinosa

Question 34

What is activated when relieving pain through touch?

Answer 34

Pacinian Corpuscles

Question 35

What pathway inhibits pain signals?

Answer 35

The DCML pathway

Question 36

What does the lateral system in the brain use to locate pain?

Answer 36

The ventral posterior thalamus first, then the somatosensory cortex

Question 37

What does the medial system in the brain use to locate more psychological aspects of pain?

Answer 37

Several regions but most importantly the Singulate Cortex

Question 38

What is the traditional explanation for phantom limb theory?

Answer 38

Exposed nerve endings (neuromas) in the the limb

Question 39

What are endogenous opioids?

Answer 39

The body’s natural painkiller system

Question 40

What is Chronic Pain Syndrome?

Answer 40

When people have symptoms alongside pain, such as depression & anxiety

Question 41

What are examples of opiates for pain relief? (2) (MC)

Answer 41

Morphine & Codeine

Question 42

Which pain receptor fibres have a large receptive field?

Answer 42

C

Question 43

Which pain receptor pathways have a small receptive field?

Answer 43

A-delta