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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...
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...
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
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...
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers01:24

Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers

Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...
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...

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Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management
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Published on: March 28, 2025

Pain without nociception?

David J Levinthal1, Klaus Bielefeldt

  • 1Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|January 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A spinal cord injury case reveals that visceral pain perception involves both vagal and spinal pathways. This suggests pain intensity is coded by the combined input from these nerves, not just specialized pain receptors.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pain Medicine

Background:

  • The brain-gut axis typically involves both vagal and spinal pathways for visceral sensation.
  • Spinal afferent pathways are traditionally thought to transmit pain signals via high-threshold nociceptors.

Observation:

  • A patient with complete cervical spinal cord transection experienced abdominal pain triggered by gastric distension and palpation.
  • Her brain-gut axis communication was limited to vagal pathways due to the spinal cord injury.

Findings:

  • Vagal afferents, typically associated with low-intensity stimuli like fullness, were implicated in pain perception in this case.
  • The study challenges the exclusive role of specialized nociceptors, suggesting vagal input contributes to visceral pain.
  • Pain perception appears to be intensity-coded by the composite of vagal and spinal neural input.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the complex interplay between the vagus nerve and spinal pathways in visceral pain.
  • Understanding this mechanism could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for managing visceral pain.
  • It broadens the understanding of how the nervous system processes and perceives discomfort originating from internal organs.