How Does Heat Cause Pain?
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Loading... - Yvan Fotsing
- 22 Aug 2022
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A signaling system involving neurons that are involved in how we comprehend thermal pain has been discovered by a new study.
The world has greatly evolved since 1664 when French philosopher and physicist Rene Descartes initially argued that the brain was responsible for experiencing pain.
However, one critical question remains: How does the human brain perceive pain? Specifically, thermal pain, the pain felt while touching an open flame or a hot skillet while cooking.
Researchers in the neurosciences department at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine believe they have the answer; burning pain is sensed by a neural circuit made up of spinal neurons and a signaling pathway.
Because it could involve the same signaling pathway, they think their current discovery—which was published in the journal Neuron—could result in a more efficient treatment for chronic, pathological pain, such as shooting, stabbing, and burning pain.
“We know that heat, cold, pressure, and itching stimulations to our skin result in appropriate feelings in the brain. However, the neurons encoding the heat signals in the spinal cord were unclear,” said Hongsheng Wang, study lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Medicine. “Our study identified a group of interneurons in the spinal cord required for heat sensation. We also found a signaling pathway contributes to heat hypersensitivity caused by inflammation or nerve injuries.” Read More...
