Pharmacology

Question 1

What is the definition of pain?

Answer 1

An unpleasant and emotional experience, associated with actual tissue damage

Question 2

What are the 3 forms of pain?

Answer 2

Nociceptive pain
Inflammatory pain
Pathological pain

Question 3

What is nociceptive pain?

Answer 3

Adaptive - an immediate protective response, short lived

Question 4

What is inflammatory pain?

Answer 4

Adaptive - assists in healing, persists over days, possibly weeks

Question 5

What is pathological pain?

Answer 5

Maladaptive - no physiological purpose, persists over months, years or even a lifetime (has outlived it’s biological purpose)

Question 6

What are nociceptors?

Answer 6

Specific peripheral primary sensory afferent neurones, activated by intense stimuli (thermal, mechanical, chemical) that are noxious

Question 7

What are the subtypes of nociceptors?

Answer 7

A(delta) fibres

C fibres

Question 8

Where does the transduction of a noxious stimulus into electrical activity occur at the nociceptor?

Answer 8

At the terminal

Question 9

What are a delta fibres?

Answer 9

Responsive to mechanical/thermal stimuli. Have a thin myelin sheath and conduct AP’s at a moderate velocity. Mediate ‘first’ pain.

Question 10

What are C fibres?

Answer 10

Respond to all stumuli.
Small diameter axon, no myelin sheath.
Slowly conduct.
Mediate ‘second’ pain.

Question 11

Name some examples of first pain?

Answer 11

Lancinating, stabbing, pricking sensations

Question 12

Name some examples of second pain?

Answer 12

Burning, throbbing, cramping, aching

Question 13

What is first pain?

Answer 13

Occur immediately upon receiving the noxious stimulus and is mediated by A delta fibres. Short duration

Question 14

What is second pain?

Answer 14

Kicks in slowly after noxious stimulus and develops slow then subsides slowly

Question 15

What does long term noxious stimulation in the long term do?

Answer 15

Increase spinal excitability contributing to hyperalgesia and allodynia

Question 16

What is behind hyperalgesia and allodynia?

Answer 16

Sensitisation of the peripheral and central terminal increasing efficiency of synaptic transmission meaning nociceptive signals are more likely to make their way from the primary afferent to the second order neurone

Question 17

What is hyperalgesia?

Answer 17

Heightened pain sensitivity - to an already painful stimulus

Question 18

What is allodynia?

Answer 18

Innocuous stimuli becomes a painful condition

Question 19

Where does visceral pain originate from?

Answer 19

Nociceptors covering tissues or walls of hollow organs. Stretching, twisting, inflammation and ischaemia

Question 20

What type of pain is poorly localised and dull, aching, throbbing?

Answer 20

Visceral pain

Question 21

What type of pain is sharp and well localised?

Answer 21

Viscerosomatic

Question 22

When does viscerosomatic pain occur?

Answer 22

When inflammatory exudate from a diseased organ contacts a somatic structure

Question 23

What is the difference between pain and nociception?

Answer 23

Pain is the awareness of suffering. Nociception may occur in the absence of pain .

Question 24

What determines whether pain is received or not?

Answer 24

Balance of input between Ab fibres and C/Adelta fibre population

Question 25

When is the spinal gate open?

Answer 25

more activity in the C/Adelta fibre

Question 26

When is the spinal gate closed?

Answer 26

More activity in the Abeta fibres

Question 27

What are the brain areas involved in the pain matrix?

Answer 27

Cerebral cortex
Amygdala
Thalamus 
Hypothalamus 
Limbic system