Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Visceral pain is pain that results from the activation of nociceptors of the thoracic, pelvic, or abdominal viscera (organs). Visceral structures are highly sensitive to distension (stretch), ischemia and inflammation , but relatively insensitive to other stimuli that normally evoke pain such as cutting or burning.
' pain receptor ') is a sensory neuron that responds to damaging or potentially damaging stimuli by sending "possible threat" signals [1] [2] [3] to the spinal cord and the brain. The brain creates the sensation of pain to direct attention to the body part, so the threat can be mitigated; this process is called nociception .
Chronic hyperstimulation of opioid receptors results in altered homeostasis of pain signalling pathways in the body with several mechanisms of action involved. One major pathway being through stimulation of the nociceptin receptor, [8] [9] [10] and blocking this receptor may therefore be a means of preventing the development of hyperalgesia. [11]
Nociceptive pain consists of an adaptive alarm system. [6] Nociceptors have a certain threshold; that is, they require a minimum intensity of stimulation before they trigger a signal. Once this threshold is reached, a signal is passed along the axon of the neuron into the spinal cord.
Area S2 processes light touch, pain, visceral sensation, and tactile attention. S1 processes the remaining info (crude touch, pain, temperature). [13] [14] [15] BA7 integrates visual and proprioceptive info to locate objects in space. [16] [17] The insular cortex (insula) plays a role in the sense of bodily-ownership, bodily self-awareness, and ...
If the peritoneal cavity becomes inflamed or if the bowel is suddenly distended, the body will interpret the afferent pain stimulus as somatic in origin. This pain is usually non-localized. The pain is also usually referred to dermatomes that are at the same spinal nerve level as the visceral afferent synapse.
Nitric oxide is thought to migrate back to the presynaptic membrane to enhance the expression of the voltage-gated N-calcium channels resulting in a pain wind-up phenomenon. This abnormal central sensitization cycle results in increased pain (hyperalgesia) and pain responses from previously non-noxious stimuli . [5]
In the abdomen, general visceral afferent fibers usually accompany sympathetic efferent fibers. This means that a signal traveling in an afferent fiber will begin at sensory receptors in the afferent fiber's target organ, travel up to the ganglion where the sympathetic efferent fiber synapses, continue back along a splanchnic nerve from the ganglion into the sympathetic trunk, move into a ...