PAIN RELATED INHIBITION OF INNOCUOUS SOMATOSENSATION

最近的研究表明，大脑痛觉通路的活动 对无伤大雅的感觉产生抑制作用 体感刺激。在我们的工作中，这种现象是 表现为对体感诱发电位的抑制 其幅度与之密切相关的(SEP)分量 无伤大雅的体感。这一现象具有重要的意义 对我们理解疼痛是如何在大脑的 皮质层水平，并建立定量和临床 测量的功能和完整性的实用方法 脊椎上的疼痛通路。在这些理论和临床之前 好处是可以实现的，但是，有必要 在疼痛的活动之间表现出密切的关系 参与无毒作用的神经元的通路和抑制 样品感官。为了实现这一目标，我们希望证明：1) 无害相关的SEP成分与疼痛相关 叠加在其上的抑制是在大脑皮质区域产生的 在无害的躯体感觉(即 初级体感皮质)。2)对无毒物质的抑制 相关的躯体感觉活动，如在SEP和 主观程度分级，特定于疼痛的激活 小路。3)震级之间存在密切关系。 痛觉通路的活动和SEP的大小 抑制力。

Recent work indicates that activity in the pain pathways of the brain exert an inhibitory influence on the perception of innocuous somatosensory stimuli. In our work this phenomenon was manifested as the inhibition of a somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) component whose amplitude is closely associated with innocuous somatosensation. This phenomenon has important implications for our understanding of how pain is coded at the cortical level and for establishing a quantitative and clinically practical method of measuring the function and integrity of the supraspinal pain pathways. Before these theoretical and clinical benefits can be realized, however, it will be necessary to demonstrate a close relationship between activity in the pain pathways and the inhibition of neurons involved in innocuous samatosensation. Toward this goal, we hope to demonstrate that: 1) The innocuous-related SEP component and the pain-related inhibition superimposed on it are generated in a cortical area that plays an important role in innocuous somatosensation (i.e., the primary somatosensory cortex). 2) The inhibition of innocuous- related somatosensory activity, as reflected in the SEP and subjective magnitude ratings, is specific to activation of the pain pathways. 3) There is a close relationship between the magnitude of activity in the pain pathways and the magnitude of SEP inhibition.