Abstract
Publisher Summary The ability to identify harmful environmental stimuli and perceive internal signals of organ dysfunction or tissue damage is crucial for the protection of physical integrity and survival. Subgroups of primary sensory neurons, so-called nociceptors are equipped with distinct receptor molecules that recognize mechanical force of high intensity, cold and warm temperature, and chemical compounds. Ascending pathways within the central nervous system (CNS) convey this information to the somatosensory cortex and areas of the brain associated with attention, emotion, and autonomic functions. The protective function of nociceptive pain is diminished in the presence of sustained inflammation or tissue injury, for example, joint damage caused by arthritis, and by a lesion or disease that affects the nervous system. Pain in these clinical conditions is characterized by an exaggerated response to noxious stimulation (hyperalgesia), painful sensations that are paradoxically evoked by innocuous stimulation (allodynia) and spontaneous pain in the absence of an identifiable stimulus. In addition, the chapter also mentions the function of Brainstem nuclei that are important mediators of nociceptive regulation.
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