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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
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...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
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...
Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...

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Updated: May 7, 2026

Local and Global Methods of Assessing Thermal Nociception in Drosophila Larvae
10:53

Local and Global Methods of Assessing Thermal Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

Published on: May 18, 2012

Human brain stem structures respond differentially to noxious heat.

Alexander Ritter1, Marcel Franz, Caroline Dietrich

  • 1Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University , Jena , Germany.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|September 14, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Different rates of noxious heat stimulation differentially activate brainstem regions, including the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM). These distinct activations correlate with different pain qualities, such as first and second pain.

Keywords:
A-delta fiberC-fiberPAGRVMpain descriptorsperiaqueductal greyrostral ventromedial medullasecond pain

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Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects
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Last Updated: May 7, 2026

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Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects
13:21

Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects

Published on: January 14, 2009

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Human Brain Imaging

Background:

  • The brainstem, particularly the periaqueductal gray (PAG), is a key region activated by noxious stimuli.
  • Animal studies show distinct PAG column activation based on the rate of skin heating (SSH).
  • Understanding human brainstem responses to varying noxious stimuli is crucial for pain research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To differentiate brainstem structures, including the PAG and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), associated with distinct human pain qualities.
  • To investigate the differential activation of brainstem structures by varying rates of noxious thermal stimulation.
  • To correlate specific SSH patterns with distinct pain percepts and their behavioral significance.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study brain activity in healthy subjects.
  • Two experimental conditions involved steep and shallow slopes of skin heating (SSH) with noxious heat.
  • A second experiment correlated different SSH with distinct subjective pain qualities.

Main Results:

  • Differential activation patterns were observed in the PAG and RVM in response to steep versus shallow SSH.
  • Shallow SSH elicited percepts of first pain, while steep SSH elicited percepts of second pain.
  • Stronger activation of brainstem structures was noted for SSH eliciting second pain compared to first pain.

Conclusions:

  • Brainstem structures, specifically the PAG and RVM, exhibit differential activation patterns based on the rate of noxious thermal stimulation (SSH).
  • Varying SSH can be a valuable tool for differentially activating and investigating brainstem structures.
  • The distinct activation patterns and associated pain qualities (first vs. second pain) may inform understanding of pain-coping strategies.