Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Fetal Circulation01:14

Fetal Circulation

Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones01:29

Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones

Bones are dynamic organs that require a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients. Around 5% to 10% of the cardiac output supplies blood to the bones. A typical long bone has three main sources: the nutrient artery, the metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries, and the periosteal arteries.
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
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...
Appendicitis-I: Introduction01:22

Appendicitis-I: Introduction

The appendix, a small, narrow, blind tube extending from the inferior part of the cecum, is widely regarded as a vestigial organ, having lost much of its original function through evolution. Despite its diminished role, the appendix can become inflamed, a condition known as appendicitis.
Etiology: Appendicitis can arise from various causes, primarily rooted in the obstruction of the appendix lumen. Factors contributing to this obstruction include fecal accumulation, lymphoid hyperplasia and, in...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Peripheral contributions to offset analgesia: effects of stimulus duration, intensity, and location.

Pain·2025
Same author

The Hope and Reality of Pain Relief Using Psychological Manipulations.

Psychosomatic medicine·2024
Same author

Offset analgesia is reduced on the palm and increases with stimulus duration.

European journal of pain (London, England)·2020
Same author

Stepwise increasing sequential offsets cannot be used to deliver high thermal intensities with little or no perception of pain.

Journal of neurophysiology·2019
Same author

Suggestions to Reduce Clinical Fibromyalgia Pain and Experimentally Induced Pain Produce Parallel Effects on Perceived Pain but Divergent Functional MRI-Based Brain Activity.

Psychosomatic medicine·2016
Same author

Distinct BOLD fMRI Responses of Capsaicin-Induced Thermal Sensation Reveal Pain-Related Brain Activation in Nonhuman Primates.

PloS one·2016

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies
01:37

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies

Published on: February 9, 2024

Foetal pain?

Stuart W G Derbyshire1

  • 1University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK. s.w.derbyshire@bham.ac.uk

Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology
|April 2, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fetal pain is debated, with key arguments centering on neural development and definitions of pain. The possibility of fetal pain depends heavily on whether one defines pain by neural pathways or conceptual subjectivity.

More Related Videos

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
09:18

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants

Published on: December 20, 2011

Continuous Telemetric In Utero Tracheal Pressure Measurements in Fetal Lambs
05:40

Continuous Telemetric In Utero Tracheal Pressure Measurements in Fetal Lambs

Published on: December 22, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies
01:37

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies

Published on: February 9, 2024

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
09:18

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants

Published on: December 20, 2011

Continuous Telemetric In Utero Tracheal Pressure Measurements in Fetal Lambs
05:40

Continuous Telemetric In Utero Tracheal Pressure Measurements in Fetal Lambs

Published on: December 22, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Medical Ethics

Background:

  • Commentary on fetal pain often focuses on neural pathway maturation to establish a gestational age limit.
  • General agreement suggests minimal neural pathways for pain are present by 24 weeks gestation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the complexities surrounding the gestational age at which fetuses may experience pain.
  • To analyze the impact of differing definitions of 'pain' and 'wakefulness' on this debate.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and philosophical arguments regarding fetal pain.
  • Analysis of neurodevelopmental milestones and their relation to pain perception.
  • Examination of the role of subcortical structures versus higher cortical functions in pain processing.

Main Results:

  • Arguments exist for fetal pain before 24 weeks (subcortical support) and against it at any stage (sedation, lack of conceptual development).
  • The definition of pain (behavioral/neural reaction vs. conceptual subjectivity) is critical.
  • Pain perception in fetuses, if present, is qualitatively different from that in infants or adults.

Conclusions:

  • The debate on fetal pain is significantly influenced by semantic definitions of key terms.
  • A clear equivalence between fetal pain and pain in born individuals cannot be drawn due to differing levels of development and consciousness.