Slow Pain Research Paper

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Introduction:

The feeling of pain can range from uncomfortable to being almost unbearable. The question that is being asked here is – “how does the perception of pain travel through our spinal cord and brain?” In the following paper, we will address the journey of the three pain receptors; mechanical, chemical, and thermal through the peripheral nerves, to the spinal cord, and to the brain, as well as the topic of “fast pain” and “slow pain” working through our body.

Content: The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system are the nerves independent of the central nervous system. Together as the nervous system, pain perception is controlled. Sensory nerves called nociceptors, recognize …show more content…
A-delta fibers are larger in diameter which produces an increased rate of conduction. This faster travel path is due to salutatory conduction, as action potentials “jump” at individual nodes through increased conduction velocity. “Slow pain” is the dull pain felt, once immediate pain dissipates. This pain is conducted down an unmyelinated axon with thin nerve fibers called C-nerve fibers, which are narrow in diameter, increasing resistance of electrical flow, and decreasing conduction rate. Action potentials in unmyelinated axons are continuous and forced to travel down the path, utilizing diffusion to dissipate. In nociceptors, action potentials first go down the afferent neuron. Once the action potential reaches the axon terminal, it triggers open voltage-gated calcium ion channels. As calcium flows in, synaptic vesicles (membrane spheres filled with neurotransmitters) migrate towards the end of the terminal to release the neurotransmitter with the help of SNARES. SNARES (proteins encapsulated inside the end plate of the terminal) take, keep, and gather in the synaptic vesicles to the terminal. Once calcium enters, exocytosis of the neurotransmitter - glutamate is triggered in the synaptic …show more content…
These receptors are ligand gated ion channels that let calcium into the cell, transmitting the signal across the synapse to the 2nd-order neuron through depolarization. The sensory neuron accesses the spinal cord through the dorsal horn, where reflexes take place. Once again, an action potential is established, repeating the process, one in which the thalamus receives the pain signal. The thalamus transmits the pain signals through the same process onto different areas of the brain - the somatosensory cortex, allowing the sensation of the pain, the limbic system, allowing the emotions that are generated with the pain, and lastly, the prefrontal cortex, which help understand the meaning of the
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