Learning Objectives

• Discuss the physiological role a of pain, and the different approaches to classifying pain
• Define and compare ‘acute’, ‘chronic’, ‘neuropathic’ , and ‘referred’ pain
• Describe the cellular mechanisms responsible for generating peripheral nociceptive signals
• Describe the ascending pathway carrying pain sensation to the brain
• Discuss the mechanisms responsible for central pain sensitization
• Explain mechanisms responsible for phantom limb pain
• Explain the ‘gate-control’ theory of peripheral pain regulation
• Describe the descending inhibition of peripheral pain transmissio

Pain Sensation

• how can tissue damage lead to chronic pain?
• what are the functions of pain?
• features of acute vs chronic pain?
• what are the 4 stages of processing pain?
• are all pain stimuli perceived as pain?
• are nociceptors simple or complex receptors?
• how big is the receptive field size of nociceptors?
• what are the different types of nociceptors?
• what stimuli do type I vs type II Aδ fibres detect?