Sensory System: Receptors and Pain Flashcards
sensation
the conscious or unconscious awareness of external or internal stimuli
perception
the conscious awareness and interpretation of information (allows for the creation of a perceptual representation of our environment)
modality
the type of sensation
transduction
the conversion of one type of energy to another
conduction
the propagation of a signal to a distant site in the nervous system (receptor potential reaches the threshold at the trigger zone)
three types of subsystems in the sensory system
- a subsystem for the detection of mechanical stimuli (touch, vibration, pressure) 2. a subsystem for the sensation of position 3. a subsystem for the detection of painful stimuli and temperature
fiber type Ia
large myelinated, proprioception (muscle spindle), fast (90 m/sec)
fiber A beta
large myelinated, vibration pressure touch and stretch, fast (50 m/sec)
fiber A delta
small myelinated, touch cold and pain, moderate (20 m/sec)
fiber c
small unmyelinated, temperature pain itch, slow (1 m/sec)
large myelinated fibers are associated
with the deep tendon reflexes
Fact
since the larger the fiber, the lower the threshold for activation, it is theoretically possible to stimulate large fibers with low, non-painful electrical currents.
spinothalamic tract
small fiber pain and temperature
hair receptors
innervation: alpha beta and alpha delta fibers, fast-adapting, arranged parallel to the hair shaft and are composed of neurites between two schwann cell’s cytoplasm
pacinian corpuscles
fast adapting, A beta, central naked axon, some may have more than one axon, resemble a sliced onion, highly sensitive to minimal skin depression and can follow oscillation up to 500 hz (tested by vibration - tuning fork)
meissner’s corpuscles
a beta, fast adapting receptors, follow low frequency oscilations (40 Hz) - ‘flutter’, located superficially in the dermal papillae, most common mechanoreceptor of hairless skin important in two point discrimination.
Merkel cells
a beta, slow adapting, steady state response, detection of a constant skin indentation without movement
proprioceptors
position receptors located in muscles, tendons, joint capsules, and ligaments, provide afferent information to the central nervous system, large diameter type I a sensory fibers coil around and innervate muscle spindles, type Ib fibers innervate golgi tendon organ receptors
golgi tendon organs
synapse on interneurons in the spinal cord that inhibit motor neurons innervating the muscle of origin and make excitatory connections with antagonistic muscles
thermoreceptors
different sensory receptors that respond to changes in skin temperature. slowly adapting
nociceptors
pain receptors, free nerve endings (mechanical nociceptors, polymodal nociceptors - supplied by c fibers respond to chemicals on the skin)
fast pain
immediate, short latency, short duration, well-localized pain through A Delta fibers
slow pain
diffuse, longer duration, burning sensation, conducted by c fibers
visceral pain
particularly sensitive to stretch or distension of visceral organs
sensitization
polymodal nociceptors - repeated stimulations are increasingly effective in generating a response