sensory processing

Sensory Processing

The process by which sensory receptors and the nervous system receive and interpret sensory information.

Receptors

Specialized cells that detect environmental stimuli and convert them into neural signals.

Primary Afferents

Nerve fibers that carry sensory information from the periphery to the central nervous system.

Merkel Disks

Skin receptors that respond to fine texture, pressure, and are slowly adapting.

Meissner's Corpuscle

A rapidly adapting receptor in the skin that detects fine mechanical sensitivity and texture changes.

Pacinian Corpuscle

A rapidly adapting receptor that detects vibrations and is sensitive to texture.

Ruffini’s Ending

A slowly adapting receptor that detects skin stretching.

Thermal Receptors

Free nerve endings that respond to temperature changes, including cool and warm receptors.

Nociceptors

Receptors that respond to potentially damaging stimuli, causing pain.

Dorsal Column/Medial Lemniscus Pathway

The sensory pathway carrying touch information from the skin to the brain.

Spinothalamic Tract

The sensory pathway that carries pain and temperature information to the brain.

Dermatome

A strip of skin innervated by a particular spinal nerve root.

Pain

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience often linked with actual or potential tissue damage.

Nociception

The neural mechanisms involved in the detection of tissue damage.

Hyperalgesia

Increased sensitivity to pain to stimuli that normally do not evoke pain.

Placebo Analgesia

Pain relief resulting from positive expectations rather than the physical effects of a treatment.

Endocrine Hormones

Chemical signals released into the bloodstream that affect distant target tissues.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions.

Peptide Hormones

Hormones made in advance and stored, consisting of strings of amino acids.

Steroid Hormones

Hormones derived from cholesterol, lipophilic, and made on demand.

Negative Feedback Regulation

A process whereby the output of a system inhibits or slows down its activity to maintain homeostasis.

ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone)

A peptide hormone that stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoids.

Cushing's Syndrome

A condition caused by excess cortisol production, leading to various health issues.

Addison's Disease

A disorder resulting from insufficient cortisol production in the adrenal cortex.

HPA Axis

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a complex set of interactions among these glands that regulate stress response.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for fight or flight responses.