title: Activation of trigeminal brain-stem nociceptive neurons by dural artery stimulation.
abstract: Vascular head pain is thought to result from activation of trigeminal sensory nerve fibers innervating cranial blood vessels. Support for this hypothesis was sought by searching in the trigeminal brain-stem subnucleus caudalis (SNC) for neuronal responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the middle meningeal artery (MMA). Seventy-eight SNC neurons were found which could be excited by MMA stimulation of the facial skin. These results provide the first report of the existence and functional properties of brain-stem neurons likely to be involved in mediating vascular head pain.
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000098:blood supply*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005145:Face / Q000294:innervation; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D008576:Meningeal Arteries / Q000294:innervation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014653:Vascular Headaches / Q000503:physiopathology*