Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
07:28
A Protocol of Manual Tests to Measure Sensation and Pain in Humans
Published on: December 19, 2016
Early changes in somatosensory function in spinal pain: protocol for a systematic review.
Anna Marcuzzi1, Catherine M Dean, Julia M Hush
1Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Human Sciences, 75 Talavera Rd, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia. julia.hush@mq.edu.au.
Systematic Reviews
|October 4, 2013
Summary
This systematic review protocol investigates early somatosensory changes in back and neck pain. Understanding these sensory dysfunctions within 12 weeks is crucial for developing new diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Back and neck pain represent a significant global health burden.
- Somatosensory alterations are known in chronic pain but their early occurrence is unclear.
- The initial 12 weeks post-pain onset are critical for understanding sensory dysfunction timing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review literature on somatosensory dysfunction in acute/subacute back and neck pain.
- To determine the timing and nature of sensory changes in the first 12 weeks.
- To address knowledge gaps in early pain mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search across major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CENTRAL).
- Inclusion of studies reporting on somatosensory function in acute/subacute neck or back pain.
- Systematic screening, risk of bias assessment, and data extraction by two independent reviewers.
- Narrative synthesis of extracted data.
Main Results:
- This section will be populated upon completion of the systematic review.
Conclusions:
- A significant knowledge gap exists regarding the temporal profile of somatosensory changes in early back and neck pain.
- This systematic review will provide insights into the early development of pain.
- Findings are expected to inform the development of novel diagnostic tools and mechanism-based pain treatments.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Overview 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...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
01:28Major 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...