Neurobiological basis of the supraspinal regulation of nociception

疼痛研究中最引人注目的发现之一是发现大脑可以改变周围有害刺激的敏感性。这就解释了不同的心理状态是如何改变伤害阈值，并最终改变疼痛体验本身的。例如，在不同的情绪条件下，同样的有害刺激会引起不同的反应。现在有充分的证据表明，焦虑或压力可以放大身体对疼痛的感觉，使伤害感受通路敏感，从而促进病理生理性疼痛状态的发展。

One of the most remarkable findings in pain research is the discovery that the brain can alter the sensitivity to noxious stimuli in the periphery. This explains how various psychological states can alter nociceptive thresholds and ultimately, the pain experience itself. For example, the same noxious stimulus can provoke different responses when experienced under different emotional conditions. It is now well documented that anxiety or stress can amplify the physical sensation of pain, sensitize nociceptive pathways and thereby, contribute to the development of pathophysiological pain states.