NEU_LEC_10

Somatosensory System

The neural system that processes sensory information related to touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception.

Nociceptors

Receptor cells that detect signals from damaged tissue and respond to potentially harmful stimuli by sending pain signals to the brain.

Dorsal Column Pathway

The neural pathway that carries touch sensations from the periphery to the primary somatosensory cortex.

Pain Pathway

The route taken by pain signals from nociceptors through the spinal cord to the brain.

Sensory Homunculus

A visual representation of the body surface in the brain, showing the amount of sensory cortex devoted to each body part, proportional to the density of sensory receptors.

Brain Plasticity

The ability of the brain to change its structure and function in response to experience and injury.

Substance P

A neuropeptide involved in the transmission of pain and the inflammatory response.

Spinothalamic Pathway

The pathway that transmits pain and temperature sensations to the brain, involving crossing over at the spinal cord.

Analgesia

The absence or reduction of pain; can be induced by various mechanisms including analgesic drugs.

Endogenous Opioids

Natural pain-relieving compounds produced by the body, such as endorphins.

Phantom Limb Pain

Pain or discomfort felt in a limb that has been amputated.

Types of Pain

Short term pain, long term or chronic pain, and neuropathic pain.

Naloxone (Narcan)

An opioid antagonist used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose by blocking opioid receptors.

A fibers

Myelinated nerve fibers that transmit sharp, acute pain signals quickly.

C fibers

Unmyelinated nerve fibers that transmit dull, throbbing pain signals slowly.

Placebo Effect

A beneficial effect produced by a treatment that cannot be attributed to the properties of the treatment itself, often due to the patient's belief in the treatment.