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Related Concept Videos

Nociception01:44

Nociception

Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons
09:40

Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons

Published on: June 30, 2022

Neuronal nociceptive responses in thalamocortical pathways.

Fei Luo1, Jin-Yan Wang

  • 1Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. luof@psych.ac.cn

Neuroscience Bulletin
|September 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Understanding pain perception is vital for survival. Researchers are uncovering the brain

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Sensory Perception

Background:

  • Pain sensation is crucial for survival in humans and animals.
  • The precise brain mechanisms governing pain perception are not fully understood.
  • Decoding how the brain translates pain-evoked activity into sensory experiences is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural underpinnings of pain perception.
  • To elucidate how the brain processes pain signals.
  • To identify the distributed neural networks involved in pain transmission.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings
  • Functional brain imaging techniques
  • Behavioral assessments

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Open-Source Real-Time Closed-Loop Electrical Threshold Tracking for Translational Pain Research
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Open-Source Real-Time Closed-Loop Electrical Threshold Tracking for Translational Pain Research

Published on: April 21, 2023

The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice
07:09

The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice

Published on: July 16, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons
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Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons

Published on: June 30, 2022

Open-Source Real-Time Closed-Loop Electrical Threshold Tracking for Translational Pain Research
10:28

Open-Source Real-Time Closed-Loop Electrical Threshold Tracking for Translational Pain Research

Published on: April 21, 2023

The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice
07:09

The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice

Published on: July 16, 2014

Main Results:

  • Basic properties of pain formation have been elucidated.
  • Evidence suggests a distributed neural network is involved in pain processing.
  • Pain perception involves complex decoding of neural activity.

Conclusions:

  • The brain utilizes a distributed network for pain information transmission and processing.
  • Further research into these neural mechanisms is essential.
  • Findings may inform the development of novel treatments for pain disorders, including chronic pain.