Somatosensory Component of the Nervous System
● Function → provides an awayness of the body sensations such as touch,
temperature, limb position, and pain
● Information is transmitted over 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order neurons
Pathways from the Spinal Cord to the Thalamic Level of Sensation
● Discriminative Pathway → relays precise information regarding spatial orientation.
There is input from multiple receptors.
○ Used for perception, arousal, and motor control
● ****Anterolateral pathway → sends signals for pain, thermal sensation, crude
touch, and pressure.
● **Stereognosis → is the ability to sense the shape and size of an object in the
absence of visualization. This is based on precise information from muscle, tendon and
joint receptors. This is a complex process that requires both the discriminative system
and higher order parietal association cortex to be functioning properly. For example, you
can find your cell phone in your bag without seeing it, or you can feel a screwdriver in
your hand and know what it is without actually seeing it.
Mechanisms of Pain
● First order neurons → detect stimuli that threaten integrity of innervated tissue
● Second order neurons → process information
● Third order neurons → project pain information to the brain
● Nociceptors = pain receptors
○ Types
■ A Delta Fibers → fast pain
■ C Fibers → smaller and slower wave pain
Transmission of Pain
● Neospinothalamic tract → sharp stabbing pain
● Paleospinothalamic Tract → dull aching pain commonly associated with chronic
and visceral pain
All types of pain
TYPES OF PAIN
● Nociceptive Pain → Nociceptors are sensory receptors that are activated by noxious
insults to periphery tissue. The endings of the peripheral pain fibers are free nerve
endings - These receptive endings are widely distributed in the skin, dental pulp,
periosteum (tissue that covers bones), meninges, and some internal organs. The
nociceptors translate noxious stimuli into action potentials that are transmitted by a
dorsal root ganglion to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
, ○ **occurs when nociceptor (pain receptors) are activated in response to actual or
impending tissue injury - when it occurs in internal organs it is known as visceral
pain
● Neuropathic Pain → arises from direct injury
Acute vs Chronic Pain
● Acute pain → self limiting pain that lasts less than 6 months
● Chronic pain → persistent pain lasting longer than 6 months
○ Lacks autonomic and somatic responses associated with acute pain
○ Is accompanied by debilitating responses
Types of Pain
● Cutaneous → sharp pain with burning, can be abrupt or slow in onset. Origin in skin
and subcutaneous tissues
○ Perceived as sharp and intense
● Deep Somatic Pain → originates in deep body structures (periosteum, muscles,
tendons, joints, blood vessels). – More diffuse than cutaneous pain. Can be produced by
strong pressure on bone, ischemia to a muscle, and tissue damage can produce deep
somatic pain. Sprained ankle is an example of deep somatic pain.
● Visceral Pain → has origins in the visceral organs and is the most common pain
produced by disease
● Referred Pain → originates at a visceral site but perceived as originating in part of
the body wall that is innervated by neurons entering the same segment of the nervous
system
Painful Sensations
● Allodynia → extreme sensitivity to touch (wind, sheets, water) - can’t let the sheets
touch area
Pain and Pain Syndromes
● Neuropathic pain → pain that is widespread and otherwise unexplainable, there is
evidence of sensory deficit (numbness or paresthesias) – Can be caused by nerve
entrapment, compression of nerve by tumor mass, and various neuralgias. Can be
caused by Diabetes, long term alcohol use, hypothyroidism, rash or trauma.
● Trigeminal neuralgia → Sharp, stabbing pain without numbness – ***Affects
Cranial Nerve V *** There is demyelination of axons in the ganglion, root and nerve.
● Postherpetic neuralgia → after the shingles – there can be burning, aching,
throbbing, intermittent stabbing shooting pain, or allodynia
● Complex regional pain syndrome → chronic arm or leg pain after an injury,
surgery or heart attack. Pain is greater than would be expected from the injury that
causes it
Phantom Limb Pain
● Follows amputation of a limb or part of a limb
● Pain often begins as sensation of tingling, heat and cold, or heaviness, followed by
burning, cramping, or shooting pain
,Lasting effects of pain
All types of headaches
TYPES OF HEADACHES
● Tension-Type Headache
○ Causes are unknown but may be due to oromandibular dysfunction,
psychogenic stress, anxiety, depression, and muscular stress. These
headaches are dull, aching, nondescript, occur in the hatband distribution.
Not associated with N/V or worsened with activity.
● Cluster Headache
○ uncommon. Occur more in men than women. This is a primary
neurovascular headache that includes severe, unrelenting, unilateral pain.
Headaches tend to occur in clusters over weeks or months, followed by a
long, headache free period of remission. Believed to have heredity
component, the hypothalmus is believed to play a key role, as well as circadian
biologic changes and neuroendocrine disturbances.
● Chronic Daily Headache
○ headaches that occur 15 or more days per month for more than 3 months.
Characteristics can be like migraines for some, others more of a tension type.
Temporomandibular Joint Pain
● ** Major causes of headaches, usually caused by an imbalance in joint movement due
to poor bite, grinding of the teeth (mostly at night) or joint problems.
● Presents as facial muscle pain, headache, neck pain or earache.
○ Some patients don’t even know they are grinding their teeth.
● Treatment → NSAIDs
Categories of Migraine Headaches
● Migraine → Stimulation of the trigeminal nerve. Can be due to hormonal variations,
certain foods such as MSG, aged cheese, chocolate can trigger migraines – the
chemicals in the foods trigger the migraine – it is NOT due to food allergy.
● Types of Migraines
○ Without aura → usually pulsing, throbbing unilateral headache that lasts 1-2
days, and can be accompanied by N/V, sensitivity to light and sound, visual
disturbances (visual hallucinations) - seeing stars, sparks, and flashes of light.
○ With Aura → similar to migraine without but pt can see flickering lights, spots,
or lines, or may have loss of vision. Can feel pins and needles, or have
numbness, may have speech disturbances or neurologic symptoms that precede
the headache. The aura develops over 5-20 minutes and lasts 5 minutes to an
hour. These patients know the migraine is going to happen.
● Subtypes of Migraines
○ **Retinal Migraine → fully reversible visual disturbances (sparks, scotomas,
temporary blindness of 1 eye)
, ● Treatment → Some people know their triggers and have to avoid them. There are
preventive treatments for migraines – some people who have frequent migraines get low
dose beta blockers and see a reduction in occurrences.
Temperature regulation
Body Temperature and Regulation
● Mechanisms of Heat Production
● Mechanisms of Heat Loss
○ Radiation
○ Conduction
○ Convection
○ Evaporation
● Increased Body Temperature - Fever
● Increased Body Temperature → Hyperthermia
○ Heat cramps
○ Heat exhaustion
○ Heatstroke
○ Drug fever
○ Malignant hyperthermia
○ Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
● Decreased Body Temperature → Hypothermia
○ Accidental hypothermia
○ Systemic hypothermia
○ Neonatal hypothermia
○ Perioperative hypothermia
○ Diagnosis/treatment
○ Therapeutic hypothermia
Know about neuropathies
Know about pathophysiology of neuropathies
NEUROPATHIES
Peripheral Neuropathy
● Definition → any primary disorder of peripheral nerves
● Results → muscle weakness, with or without atrophy and sensory changes
● Involvement → can involve a single nerve (mononeuropathy) or multiple nerves
(polyneuropathy)
Mononueropathies
● Causes → localized conditions such as trauma, compression, or infections that affect a
single spinal nerve, plexus, or peripheral nerve trunk
○ Fractured bones may lacerate or compress nerves