physiology and pathophysiology of pain Flashcards
what part of the brain does pain get transmitted to?
thalamus
what is nociception?
the detection of tissue damage by specialized transducers connected to A-delta and C fibres
what are nociceptors?
free nerve ending of A delta and C fibres
what do nociceptors respond to?
thermal,chemical, mechanical noxious stimuli
where do nociceptors synapse?
spinal cord
what type of pain are A delta fibres responsible for?
sharp or “first” pain
what type of pain are C fibres responsible for?
dull pain which comes after the initial sharp pain
what are the 3 types of neurons that are predominantly found in grey matter?
low threshold mechanoreceptive neurons
nociceptive specific neurons
wide dynamic range neurons
where do the spinothalamic tracts relay information to in the brain?
thalamus
what rexed areas does the spinothalamic tract arise from?
2 and 5
where does the LATERAL STT terminate?
ventroposterior thalamic nuclei
where do the ventroposterior thalamic nuclei feed to?
somatosensory cortex
where does the VENTRAL STT terminate?
medial thalamic nuclei
where do the medial thalamic nuclei project to?
limbic system
anterior cingulate cortex
insular cortex
where does pain perception occur?
somatosensory cortex
what is the lateral part of the pain matrix composed of?
somatosensory cortex
ventroposterior thalamic nuclei
what is the medial part of the pain matrix composed of?
amygdala hippocampus cingulate and prefrontal cortexes insula brainstem centres
what is the lateral part of the pain matrix involved in?
sensory discriminative part of nociception
what is the medial part of the pain matrix involved in?
affective and emotional components as well as descending control of pain