Evolution: the advantage of 'maladaptive' pain plasticity.
Following injury, nociceptive systems become sensitized, leading to heightened pain perception. The evolutionary reason for this phenomenon has been hard to pinpoint. A study in squid now suggests that nociceptive sensitization enhances survival from predators.
University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, Dallas, TX, USA. Electronic address: Theodore.price@utdallas.edu.
Theodore J
TJ
Price
University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, Dallas, TX, USA; University of Arizona School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Tucson, AZ, USA. Electronic address: Gregory.dussor1@utdallas.edu.
Gregory
G
Dussor
D000818:Animals; D049832:Decapodiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D008297:Male; D059225:Nociception