title: The pathophysiology of pain.
abstract: Recent advances in elucidating the physiologic transmission of pain have lead to new targets for analgesic drug development. New agents are being studied in animal trials and familiar drugs are being investigated in novel ways. This paper was written to familiarize nurse anesthetists with one of the new targets, ionotropic glutamate receptors. This article begins with a brief survey of several alternate theories of the origin of pain, then, in more detail, describes the anatomical and physiological basis of pain, focusing on the phenomenon of central sensitization and the role of ionotropic glutamate receptors. An exploration of several recent pharmacological studies targeting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors concludes the review.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Md., USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McShane
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate