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Related Concept Videos

Nociception01:44

Nociception

28.4K
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.
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Pain01:20

Pain

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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...
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Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

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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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management
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Nociception and pain: lessons from optogenetics.

Fiona B Carr1, Venetia Zachariou1

  • 1Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA.

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|April 12, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Optogenetics offers novel insights into pain perception by selectively activating neurons. This review explores its application in understanding nociceptive pathways from the periphery to the brain.

Keywords:
amygdalanociceptionnociceptorpainprefrontal cortexspinal cord

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Pain perception originates peripherally via nociceptor activation.
  • Nociceptive signals travel through the spinal cord to brain regions for perception.
  • Understanding nociceptive circuitry in acute and chronic pain remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the application of optogenetic tools in pain research.
  • To elucidate the role of neuronal subpopulations in pain pathways.
  • To enhance understanding of peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal pain processing.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies utilizing optogenetics in pain pathway research.
  • Selective activation of neuronal subpopulations in vivo.
  • Analysis of optogenetic applications at different levels of the pain pathway.

Main Results:

  • Optogenetics provides a powerful method for investigating neuronal function in pain.
  • Studies reviewed demonstrate optogenetics' utility in dissecting pain circuitry.
  • Advances in optogenetics enable precise control over neural activity related to pain.

Conclusions:

  • Optogenetic tools are crucial for advancing our comprehension of pain mechanisms.
  • Selective neuronal activation deepens understanding of nociception from periphery to brain.
  • Future research will likely leverage optogenetics to address remaining questions in pain research.