Abstract
Primary sensory neurons are a heterogeneous population of cells able to respond to both innocuous and noxious stimuli. Like most neurons they are highly compartmentalised, allowing them to detect, convey and transfer sensory information. These compartments include specialised sensory endings in the skin, the nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons, the cell soma and their central terminals in the spinal cord. In this review, we will highlight the importance of these compartments to primary afferent function, describe how these structures are compromised following nerve damage and how this relates to neuropathic pain.
Highlights
The ability to sense the environment is a vital feature which allows us to detect and react to external ques
These sensory afferents whose cell bodies reside within the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) or trigeminal ganglia are a heterogeneous population of cells able to convey information relating to distinct sensations such as touch, temperature, itch and pain
DRG neurons have a unique structure; they are pseudounipolar meaning that they have a single axon which leaves the cell body and bifurcates at the T junction, with one branch going towards its peripheral target and the other along the dorsal root into the CNS, and this set-up is generally considered to allow for sensory information to travel uninterrupted along this route (Figure 4a)
Summary
The ability to sense the environment is a vital feature which allows us to detect and react to external ques. We will focus on distinct neuronal compartments, including cutaneous afferents, axonal structures such as the node of Ranvier, the cell soma and central terminals, and discuss them in that order moving from the periphery to the spinal cord (Figure 1, sections 1–4).
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