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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

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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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Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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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.
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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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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...
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Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

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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.
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The dorsal...
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Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

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The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
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Nociception01:44

Nociception

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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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Central neural circuits underlying itch sensation.

Yan-Gang Sun1,2

  • 1Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. yangang.sun@ion.ac.cn.

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Summary

Itch is a defensive sensation processed by spinal cord neural networks and transmitted to the brain. This review synthesizes current understanding of the neural circuits involved in itch perception and modulation.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Somatosensation
  • Pruritus Research

Background:

  • Itch is a critical defensive somatosensory mechanism.
  • Peripheral itch signaling pathways are increasingly understood.
  • Central nervous system (CNS) processing is crucial for itch perception and response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize current knowledge on neural circuits underlying itch processing in the CNS.
  • To discuss brain mechanisms for itch perception and affective modulation.
  • To review spinal cord itch processing regulation by descending and neuromodulatory pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on itch neurobiology.
  • Synthesis of findings on peripheral and central itch signaling.
  • Analysis of neural pathways involved in itch transmission and perception.

Main Results:

  • Local spinal cord neuronal networks process and gate itch signals.
  • Spinal projection neurons transmit itch information to the thalamus and parabrachial nucleus.
  • Brain circuits modulate affective states and drive scratching behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding CNS neural circuits is key to deciphering itch perception.
  • Spinal and brain mechanisms interact to regulate itch.
  • Further research into neuromodulatory and descending pathways can reveal new therapeutic targets for itch disorders.