Aantekeningen Lecture 1.
Goals:
- To define and explain the key concept of pain and its components
- To describe and explain the physiological basis of pain, incl.:
- The difference between pain and nociception
- The descending and ascending pathways
- The brain's pain network*
- To reflect on pain assessment and the experimental research on pain
Pain: what is it?
- Definitions, terminology
- Neuropsychological basis
- Pain research paradigms
- Measurements of pain (clinic and lab)
, Debunking some myths
1) Women handle pain better than men = true according to mythbusters, false according to
real science.
Increased pain sensitivity and risk for clinical pain is commonly being observed among
women.
Men who identify as very masculine sign up for pain trials and tend to prove themselves by
reporting less pain, especially if the researcher they’re reporting to is female.
2) Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt = false
One of the main predictors to physical aches and pain is stopping with exercising or
moving.
Avoidance behaviour is creating chronic pains.
3) If the source of the pain can’t be found, it’s not real = false
Placebo and nocebo effect + psychosomatic disorders.
4) Your mood can affect pain = true
A life without pain
- It’s not a good thing because people who can’t feel pain will injure themselves without
feeling it.
- Only 100 people in the world suffer from this rare condition.
- Low life expectancy; especially children need to be protected against themselves.
Adaptive VS. maladaptive function of pain
Functions of pain:
- Warning
- Support of healing process
Acute vs. Chronic pain:
- Longer than 6 months
- It lost its warning function
- Occurs even in the absence of a noxious (schadelijke) stimulus
- Occurs even after succesful healing
Pain = an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage, or described in terms of such a damage.
Sensory component How intense, what quality?
Affective component How unpleasant, annoying or distressing?
Goals:
- To define and explain the key concept of pain and its components
- To describe and explain the physiological basis of pain, incl.:
- The difference between pain and nociception
- The descending and ascending pathways
- The brain's pain network*
- To reflect on pain assessment and the experimental research on pain
Pain: what is it?
- Definitions, terminology
- Neuropsychological basis
- Pain research paradigms
- Measurements of pain (clinic and lab)
, Debunking some myths
1) Women handle pain better than men = true according to mythbusters, false according to
real science.
Increased pain sensitivity and risk for clinical pain is commonly being observed among
women.
Men who identify as very masculine sign up for pain trials and tend to prove themselves by
reporting less pain, especially if the researcher they’re reporting to is female.
2) Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt = false
One of the main predictors to physical aches and pain is stopping with exercising or
moving.
Avoidance behaviour is creating chronic pains.
3) If the source of the pain can’t be found, it’s not real = false
Placebo and nocebo effect + psychosomatic disorders.
4) Your mood can affect pain = true
A life without pain
- It’s not a good thing because people who can’t feel pain will injure themselves without
feeling it.
- Only 100 people in the world suffer from this rare condition.
- Low life expectancy; especially children need to be protected against themselves.
Adaptive VS. maladaptive function of pain
Functions of pain:
- Warning
- Support of healing process
Acute vs. Chronic pain:
- Longer than 6 months
- It lost its warning function
- Occurs even in the absence of a noxious (schadelijke) stimulus
- Occurs even after succesful healing
Pain = an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage, or described in terms of such a damage.
Sensory component How intense, what quality?
Affective component How unpleasant, annoying or distressing?
