Week 9 (A) Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the name of the condition that means you don’t feel pain and will probably die young?
Congenital analgesia
Of young and old people, which is more sensitive to pain?
Old
Of men and women, which is more sensitive to pain?
Women
What is the ‘gate theory of pain’ (1965)
Name one thing that ‘opens’ the gate and one thing that ‘closes’ it
The idea that there’s a ‘gate’ in the spinal cord that determines what pain ‘gets through’ to the brain.
Chronic stress opens the gate
Adrenaline closes the gate
What is the name given to the type of receptors that pick up pain?
Nociceptors
There are three pain nerves mentioned in the lecture notes, what are they
Although I note I’m a bit confused about what these are
- Alphadelta - faster for sharp pain
- C fibres: no myelin, slower, dull aching pain
- Synapse in the substantia gelantinosa in the dorsal hour of the spinal cord
Ascending pain signals end up in one of THREE brain regions. What are they?
- Primary somatosensory cortex
- Anterior cingulate (emotional aspects, sympathetic pain, social rejection)
- Insular (modulate physical pain response)
TWO brain regions can modify the pain responses as part of the DESCENDING pain pathway. What are they?
- Amygdala
2. Hypothalamus
What’s the mechanism by which the amygdala and hypothalamus modify pain responses?
(Hint: they activate another brain region, lower down)
They activate the Periaqueductal Gray (PAG), which uses endorphins to moderate pain.
PERI-AQUEDUCTAL
Opiates affect pain by blocking the release of which substance from the peraquaductal gray (PAG)?
Substance P
What is the crazy thing they found out about supplying heartbroken people with panadol?
It lowered their hurt feelings
What is the crazy thing they found out about holding hands with your lover
Looking at a picture was more effective at reducing pain that holding their hand
What does hypnosis do to pain?
Changes the emotional valence (lowers it)
