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Related Concept Videos

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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Nociception01:44

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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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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: Mar 11, 2026

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
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Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

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Testing Assumptions in Human Pain Models: Psychophysical Differences Between First and Second Pain.

Nathanial R Eckert1, Charles J Vierck1, Corey B Simon1

  • 1University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE), Gainesville, Florida.

The Journal of Pain
|November 27, 2016
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals that first pain (A-fiber) has a lower threshold than second pain (C-fiber) in both glabrous and hairy skin. Findings offer a new method for studying pain mechanisms and developing therapies.

Keywords:
First painpainpain sensationssecond painstimulus response curves

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Acute pain involves distinct sensations mediated by myelinated (A delta) and unmyelinated (C) nociceptive afferents.
  • These afferents correspond to first (A-fiber) and second (C-fiber) pain sensations, respectively.
  • Understanding the differences between these pain types is crucial for clinical pain research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare first and second pain sensations in glabrous and hairy skin of the human upper limb.
  • To introduce a novel psychophysical method for eliciting and comparing both pain types using a single thermal stimulus.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty healthy adults (18-30 years) participated in a psychophysical study.
  • Thermal stimuli were applied to glabrous skin (palm) and hairy skin (forearm).
  • Electronically rated first and second pain sensations were recorded and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • The threshold for first pain was significantly lower (more sensitive) than for second pain across both skin types (P = .004).
  • Pain thresholds were higher in glabrous skin compared to hairy skin (P = .001).
  • Hairy skin exhibited a steeper slope for pain testing, with no significant difference in slope between first and second pain.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support distinct mechanistic differences between first and second pain sensations.
  • A novel, efficient method for producing and comparing first and second pain with the same thermal stimulus was demonstrated.
  • This psychophysical approach can advance the understanding of clinical pain abnormalities and aid in the development of new therapeutics.