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Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) or conditioned pain modulation (CPM) refers to an endogenous pain modulatory pathway which has often been described as "pain inhibits pain". [1] It occurs when response from a painful stimulus is inhibited by another, often spatially distant, noxious stimulus.
Not only have Siri Leknes and Irene Tracey, two neuroscientists who study pain and pleasure, concluded that pain and reward processing involve many of the same regions of the brain, but also that the functional relationship lies in that pain decreases pleasure and rewards increase analgesia, which is the relief from pain.
Neuromodulation is the physiological process by which a given neuron uses one or more chemicals to regulate diverse populations of neurons. Neuromodulators typically bind to metabotropic, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to initiate a second messenger signaling cascade that induces a broad, long-lasting signal.
In 1968, three years after the introduction of the gate control theory, Ronald Melzack concluded that pain is a multidimensional complex with numerous sensory, affective, cognitive, and evaluative components. Melzack's description has been adapted by the International Association for the Study of Pain in a contemporary definition of pain. [1]
Most pain resolves once the noxious stimulus is removed and the body has healed, but it may persist despite removal of the stimulus and apparent healing of the body. Sometimes pain arises in the absence of any detectable stimulus, damage or disease. [3] Pain is the most common reason for physician consultation in most developed countries.
Pain psychology is the study of psychological and behavioral processes in chronic pain. Pain psychology involves the implementation of treatments for chronic pain. Pain psychology can also be regarded as a branch of medical psychology, as many conditions associated with chronic pain have significant medical outcomes.
Another type of pain, known as neuropathic pain, is caused by a direct problem or disease that affects the nerves in the central nervous system. [11] The sensory pathways the WDR neurons can play a role in. A subset of this neuropathic pain, known as chronic neuropathic pain, is characterized by its long lasting and high pain intensity.
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.