Neurophysiology 2

Sensory systems

Input

visceral sensation

somatic sensation

somatesthetic

proprioceptive

special senses

vision

hearing

taste

smell

uses of sensory input

control of efferent output

reticular formation and cortical arousal and consciousness

stored for future reference

perception:  the conscious interpretion of the external world

limited receptor modalities

differential processing of input

manipulation of input to produce altered “reality”

Receptor physiology

receptors have differential sensitivities to various stimuli

stimulus modality

transduction

adequate stimulus and the law of specific nerve energies

first proposed by Johannes Peter Müller in 1826

modified by work of Lord Edgar Douglas Adrian

Roger Sperry’s research

receptor types

photoreceptors

rods

cones

mechanoreceptors

in glabrous skin

Pacinian corpuscles:  deep pressure & high-frequency vibration

Meissner’s corpuscles:  light touch, low-frequency vibration

Merkel’s discs:  light touch, low-frequency vibration

Ruffini corpuscles:  deep pressure

in hairy skin

root hair plexus:  deformation

cochlea

hair cells:  deformation

thermoreceptors

heat

TRPV1:  hot ( >42°C )

capsaicin & camphor

TRPV2:  painfully hot ( >52°C )

TRPV3:  warm ( >31°C )

TRPV4:  tepid ( >25°C )

cold

TRPM8:  cool ( <28°C )

menthol

TRPA1:  cold ( <18°C )

also found in hair cells

chemoreceptors

distance

olfactory receptors in olfactory system

pheromone receptors in vomeronasal organ

direct

taste buds

pH receptors in carotid & aortic bodies

nociceptors

compound sensations:  wetness

altered membrane permeability of receptors results in graded receptor potential

causes

mechanical stimulation

chemical signals

temperature

electromagnetic radiation

increased intensity of stimulus results in increased receptor potential

increased receptor potential results in increased frequency of action potentials

adaptation

tonic receptors:  slow adapting

proprioceptors

nociceptors

phasic receptors:  fast adapting

off response:  transmits a signal when the stimulus is released

somatosensory pathways

destinies of afferent information

reflex arc

ascending pathway

labeled lines

decoding the stimulus

stimulus modality

receptor type

ascending pathway

stimulus location

location of activated receptor field

pathway to somatesthetic cortex

stimulus intensity

frequency of action potentials

number of activated receptors

activation of sensory pathway

phantom pain

acuity is influenced by receptor field size

somatesthetic cortical homunculus

Pain 1

protective mechanism

motivated behavioral responses

emotional responses

subjective interpretation

categories of pain receptors

mechanical nociceptors

thermal nociceptors

polymodal nociceptors

free nerve endings

sensitization by prostaglandins

types of pain

acute pain

chronic pain

cutaneous pain

somatic pain

visceral pain

neuropathic pain

pathways

fast pain pathway

myelinated Aδ (A-delta) fiber

responds to mechanical or temperature stimuli in pain realm

transmits at 5–30 m/sec

uses glutamate as neurotransmitter in dorsal horn with AMPAa receptors

terminates on lamina I (lamina marginalis) of dorsal horns

second-order neurons cross over and pass upwards in contralateral anterolateral columns

terminate in ventrobasal complex of thalamus

third-order neurons relay to cerebral cortex

localization due to stimulation of adjacent tactile receptors

slow pain pathway

unmyelinated C fiber

transmits at 0.4–1.0 m/sec

bradykinin sensitizes nociceptor peripheral terminals

capsaicin blocks C-fiber conduction

terminate on laminae II & III (substantia gelatinosa) of dorsal horns

second-order neuron terminates in lamina V

third-order neurons join fibers from fast pathway, cross over and pass upwards in contralateral anterolateral columns

terminate mostly in brainstem

neurotransmitters

glutamate

uses AMPAa & NMDAb receptors

AMPAa receptors

generate action potentials in dorsal horn cells

transmission of pain message to higher centers

NMDAb receptors

only open after prolonged depolarization

activate ascending pathways

Ca2+ entry into dorsal horn cells

induces hyperexcitability

substance P

naked mole rats lack substance P, and thus do not feel painful stimuli

an 11-amino acid peptide

uses the NK1 (neurokinin-1) receptor

activates ascending pathways

somatosensory cortex

thalamus

reticular formation

axon reflex [perpheral movement of afferent APs] and substance P release ↑ inflammation

analgesia

periaqueductal gray matter and reticular formation in midbrain

descending analgesic system

blocking substance P release from afferent synaptic terminal

opiate receptors for β-endorphin, enkephalins, and dynorphin


Notes

a (S)-2-Amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4yl)propionic acid
AMPA
b N-methyl-D-aspartate
NMDA
Questions for thought
1.   Differentiate between tonic and phasic receptors. Give examples.
2.   Describe at least four types of tactile receptors in the skin, giving a concise functionality for each.
3.   What is meant by proprioception? Give examples of the princple proprioceptive structures and how each serves its function.
4.   Is our perception of reality true? Discuss.
5.   Gladys had to have her left arm amputated after a construction site accident. She reports to you that she occasionally has a tingling sensation in the fingers of her left hand. Do you tell her she should see a psychiatrist? How would you explain her phenomenon to her?
6.   Explain how we determine the meaning and location of a somatoesthetic sensation.
7.   What is pain? How is visceral pain different from somatic pain?

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