PSY 3108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Nociceptor, Denatonium, Tongue Map
Document Summary
The firing pattern of groups of mechanoreceptors signals shape (more firing for more curvature) A monkey thalamus shows cells that respond to center-surround receptive fields. Somatosensory cortex shows cells that respond maximally to orientation and direction of movement. Monkey somatosensory cortex also shows neurons that respond best to grasping specific shapes. Paying attention to the grasped object increases the response of these neurons. Pain- has a sensory component and an affective or emotional component. Different from injury (injury can occur without pain and small injuries can be surprisingly painful). 3 types of pain: nociceptive, inflammatory, neuropathic (other types do exist psychogenic) Response to tissue damage or threat of tissue damage. Responds to one of the following: heat, painful chemicals, pressure, and cold. Inflammatory- caused by damage to tissues and joints that releases chemicals that activate nociceptors (joints swell after injury). Neuropathic- caused by damage to the central or peripheral nervous system, such as brain damage caused by stroke, spinal cord.