Lamina I, but not lamina V, spinothalamic neurons exhibit responses that correspond with burning pain.
Single-unit recordings from monkey spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons reveal that the responses of polymodal nociceptive lamina I STT neurons correspond with the profile of burning pain elicited in human subjects by repeated brief-contact heat. In contrast, lamina V wide-dynamic-range (WDR) neurons show a significantly different response pattern. This finding indicates that burning pain is signaled by modality-selective lamina I neurons and not convergent lamina V WDR neurons.
Craig
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Atkinson Research Lab., Barrow Neurological Inst., 350 West Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. bcraig@chw.edu
D000818:Animals; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D013133:Spinothalamic Tracts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*