SYMPOSIUM ON EFFECTS OF INJURY ON SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEMS

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The Somatosensory Physiology and Oral Physiology Commissions of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) propose to hold a jointly sponsored 3-day satellite meeting, immediately after the 1986 World Congress of the IUPS in Vancouver, B.C., to consider The Response of the Somatosensory System to Injury. The purpose of this meeting is to bring together basic and clinical scientists actively studying the effects of injury on the spinal and trigeminal systems to provide a state of the science review and integration of knowledge obtained in both systems. An in-depth and integrated review of the topic of the satellite meeting, including discussions of controversies and identification of the most profitable and productive directions and approaches that might be adopted in future research is long overdue and justified for several reasons: (1) the lack of any previous meeting or publication devoted to this topic and involving the close interaction of trigeminal and spinal researchers; (2) the existence now of a critical mass not only of spinal somatosensory researchers but also trigeminal scientists who have made important, fundamental contributions to the topic; (3) the accumulation of much new data indicating that neural injury can lead to alterations in the CNS and the need for integration of these data; (4) the pathophysiological relevance of the findings to clinical conditions manifesting disorders of somatosensory and motor functions (e.g., chronic pain) that may result from peripheral or central injury, and their general relevance to basic knowledge of learning, memory, development, plasticity, and regeneration and repair of the nervous system; and (5) the need to resolve controversial issues, to identify unanswered questions and gaps in our knowledge, and to explore the most fruitful approaches for future investigations.