01:146:245 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Periaqueductal Gray, Thermoreceptor, Grey Matter

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
• Course: 01:146:245
• Professor: Professor Wilhelms

Document Summary

~hyperalgesia after you get a painful stimulus that causes actual tissue damage, the pain- sensitivity of the damaged tissue is amplified. Happens because nociceptors are made more sensitive because of stuff released by damaged tissue, like prostaglandins, histamines, etc. ~descending pathways from spinal cord can modulate transmission of pain info. ~gate theory of pain non painful stimulus (i. e. mechanical stimulus) near the site of prevents the flow of pain info and relieves pain. This is why you rub your toe when you stub it. ~there are regions of the brain that can suppress pain. Pag (periaqueductal gray matter) projects to raphe (with serotonin nt), raphe sends axons to spinal cord. ~endorphins have opioid properties, can bind to opioid receptors in brain. Opioid receptors found throughout body, but especially in brain. In brain, they are dense in areas that process and modulate nociceptive info (pa, raphe, spinal cord) ~so the brain needs to be kept at a specific temperature 37oc.