PSY391H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Neuropathic Pain, Neuroplasticity, Habituation
Document Summary
Lecture 1: epidemiology and the psychology of pain. Pain is an illusion because of how our brains perceive the event. Thermal grill illusion illusion of pain: grid of rocks, rods of 20 degrees and rods of 40 degrees. Interlacing your hands makes it feel burning hot. Civilian surgical wounds psychological modulation of pain: time since trauma, stress of trauma and age of patients, may have affected the level of pain they felt and whether they were prescribed narcotics. Problem of pain: #1 reason to seek health care, #1 concern of patients with chronic disease, pain can kill (weakened immune system due to chronic stress) Epidemiology: the study of the distribution, causes and determinants of disease: how does the disease affect the population, age, sex, geography, income/economy, race/ethnicity, education. Incidence the rate of new cases: prevalence how often cases come up, selected populations specific, recurrence rate of which cases come up again, mortality to decrease prevalence, curative, preventative measures, death.
