Basic Overview of Pain

Frank L. Rice, PhD

Professor in the Department of Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience
Albany Medical College

Somatosensory neurons innervate the skin and detect stimuli from the external environment, including those that can potentially cause tissue damage. These neurons encode such sensations as temperature, touch, and pain, and transduce the various sensory modalities into action potentials that are propagated to the central nervous system. Pathologic changes in these neurons result in aberrant activity that can trigger and maintain heightened excitability in the central nervous system. Moreover, cortical reorganization in pain-sensing areas, including the primary somatosensory cortex, can contribute to chronic pain states. Studies have shown that certain pathologic pain conditions, such as chronic regional pain syndrome, are associated with persistent changes in the skin that cause and/or exacerbate pain. Thus, blocking communication between the skin and nervous system may lead to novel pharmacologic approaches for some chronic pain states.

References

Dussor G, Koerber HR, Oaklander AL, Rice FL, Molliver DC. Nucleotide signaling and cutaneous mechanisms of pain transduction. Brain Res Rev. 2009;60(1):24-35.
Albrecht PJ, Hines S, Eisenberg E, et al. Pathologic alterations of cutaneous innervation and vasculature in affected limbs from patients with complex regional pain syndrome. Pain. 2006;120(3):244-266.

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