Myelinated nociceptive afferents account for the hyperalgesia that follows a burn to the hand.
Monkeys and human subjects were exposed to a series of thermal stimuli before and after a 53 degrees C, 30-second burn to the glabrous skin of the hand. The responses of C- and A-fiber nociceptive afferents in the monkeys and subjective responses by the humans were compared. The burn resulted in increased sensitivity of the A fibers, decreased sensitivity of the C fibers, and increased pain sensibility (hyperalgesia) in the human subjects.
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006941:Hyperesthesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008251:Macaca; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*