Nociceptive signaling in the periphery and spinal cord

Oxford Textbook of Pediatric Pain ◽

10.1093/med/9780198818762.003.0006 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 59-66

Author(s):

Gareth Hathway ◽

Charles M. Greenspon ◽

Mark L. Baccei

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Tissue Injury ◽

Afferent Input ◽

Acute Response ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Age Related ◽

Noxious Stimuli ◽

Electrical Stimuli ◽

Age Related Changes

Responses to painful or noxious stimuli are functional at birth. However, postnatal changes in the transmitters, receptors, and pathways involved in nociceptive signaling result in significant age-related changes in the nature and degree of response. Noxious mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli are detected by peripheral nociceptors, transduced into electrical stimuli, and transmitted to the spinal cord. Within the spinal cord, there are significant postnatal changes in the balance of inhibitory and excitatory signaling, that not only influence the acute response to afferent input, but can also underlie long-term alterations in sensory processing following tissue injury in early life. Evaluating age-related changes in nociceptive signaling is essential not only for understanding acute behavioral responses to noxious stimuli, but also for identifying the most appropriate and effective pain-management interventions at different developmental ages.

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Nociceptive signalling in the periphery and spinal cord

Oxford Textbook of Paediatric Pain ◽

10.1093/med/9780199642656.003.0006 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 53-64

Author(s):

Suellen M. Walker ◽

Mark L. Baccei

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Tissue Injury ◽

Afferent Input ◽

Acute Response ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Age Related ◽

Noxious Stimuli ◽

Electrical Stimuli ◽

Age Related Changes

Responses to painful or noxious stimuli are functional at birth. However, postnatal changes in the transmitters, receptors, and pathways involved in nociceptive signalling result in significant age-related changes in the nature and degree of response. Noxious mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli are detected by peripheral nociceptors, transduced into electrical stimuli, and transmitted to the spinal cord. Within the spinal cord, there are significant postnatal changes in the balance of inhibitory and excitatory signalling, that not only influence the acute response to afferent input, but can also underlie long-term alterations in sensory processing following tissue injury in early life. Evaluating age-related changes in nociceptive signalling is essential not only for understanding acute behavioural responses to noxious stimuli, but also for identifying the most appropriate and effective pain management interventions at different developmental ages.

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Long-term effects of early pain and injury

Oxford Textbook of Pediatric Pain ◽

10.1093/med/9780198818762.003.0003 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 21-37

Author(s):

Orla Moriarty ◽

Suellen M. Walker

Keyword(s):

Nervous System ◽

Early Life ◽

Tissue Injury ◽

Afferent Input ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Nociceptive Pathways ◽

Noxious Stimuli ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Nociceptive pathways are functional following birth, and acute responses to noxious stimuli have been documented from early in development in clinical and laboratory studies. The ability of noxious afferent input to alter the level of sensitivity of nociceptive pathways in the adult nervous system, with, for example, the development of central sensitization, is well established. However, the developing nervous system has additional susceptibilities to alterations in neural activity, and pain in early life may produce effects not seen following the same input at older ages. As a result, early tissue injury may lead to persistent changes in somatosensory processing and altered sensitivity to future noxious stimuli. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that neonatal pain can result in long-term changes in cognitive and affective behavior. Effects of pain in early life are superimposed on a highly plastic developing system, and long-term outcomes vary depending on the type and severity of the injury, and on the evaluation methods used. Laboratory studies allow evaluation of different injuries, potential confounding factors, underlying mechanisms, and potential analgesic modulation.

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Age-related changes in soma size of neurons in the spinal cord motor column of the cat

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/0304-3940(96)12742-7 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 211 (3) ◽

pp. 163-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Rong-Huan Liu ◽

Cristina Bertolotto ◽

John K. Engelhardt ◽

Michael H. Chase

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Age Related ◽

Soma Size ◽

Age Related Changes

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Age-related changes of the diffusion tensor imaging parameters of the normal cervical spinal cord

European Journal of Radiology ◽

10.1016/j.ejrad.2014.09.010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 83 (12) ◽

pp. 2196-2202 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Kun Wang ◽

Qingxin Song ◽

Fan Zhang ◽

Zhi Chen ◽

Canglong Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Imaging Parameters ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

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Age-Related Changes in Neuropeptide Y Immunoreactivity (NPY-ir) in the Cortex and Spinal Cord of Spontaneously Hypertensive (SHR) and Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) Rats

Journal of Hypertension ◽

10.1097/00004872-198608000-00012 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 471-475 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Carlo Maccarrone ◽

Bevyn Jarrott

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Neuropeptide Y ◽

Spontaneously Hypertensive ◽

Wky Rats ◽

Age Related ◽

Wistar Kyoto ◽

Age Related Changes

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The Impact of Long‐Term Physical Activity on Age‐Related Changes in Protein and Gene Expression

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1163.21 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 22 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Ian R Lanza ◽

Daniel K Short ◽

Kevin R Short ◽

Yan W Asmann ◽

Sreekumar Raghavakaimal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact ◽

Age Related Changes

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Long-term effects of early pain and injury: animal models

Oxford Textbook of Paediatric Pain ◽

10.1093/med/9780199642656.003.0003 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 20-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Suellen M. Walker

Keyword(s):

Nervous System ◽

Tissue Injury ◽

Afferent Input ◽

Somatosensory Processing ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Nociceptive Pathways ◽

Acute Responses ◽

Noxious Stimuli ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Nociceptive pathways are functional following birth and acute responses to noxious stimuli have been documented from early development in both clinical and laboratory studies. The ability of noxious afferent input to alter the level of sensitivity of nociceptive pathways in the adult nervous system, with, for example the development of central sensitization, is well established (Woolf, 2011). However, the developing nervous system has additional susceptibilities to alterations in neural activity, and increases due to pain and injury in early life may produce effects not seen following the same input at older ages. As a result, early tissue injury may lead to persistent changes in somatosensory processing and altered sensitivity to future noxious stimuli. The impact of early pain and injury cannot be simply viewed as increasing or decreasing sensitivity as results vary depending on the type and severity of injury and the outcomes used for assessment. Laboratory studies allow evaluation of different forms of injury, potential confounding factors, underlying mechanisms, and potential for modulation by analgesia.

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