Abstract

This work is intended to test whether the sympathetic nervous system can modulate pain perception through its influence on the sensitivity of primary afferent fibers. Electrophysiological studies will be done on cats consisting of recordings from primary afferent units in response to cutaneous thermal or mechanical stimuli. Electrical stimulation of the sympathetic trunk will be imposed during repetitive adequate stimulation and any changes in threshold noted. The focus for the current year will be upon nonmyelinated thermoreceptors and polymodal nociceptors. Behavioral tests will be done on rats free to move about in a shuttle-box. Animals accustomed to drinking milk from an elevated feeding tube will be tested while standing on hind-legs with feet placed upon a temperature controlled plate. The plate will be heated sufficiently to reduce the amount of milk drunk. Surgically sympathectomized animals will be compared to sham-operated animals.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01NS013447-07A2
Application #
3395170
Study Section
Communication Sciences and Disorders (CMS)
Project Start
1978-01-01
Project End
1989-11-30
Budget Start
1986-12-01
Budget End
1987-11-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Good Samaritan Hosp & Medical Center(Prtlnd,OR)
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Portland
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97210

  Publications

Gillette, R G; Kramis, R C; Roberts, W J (1998) Suppression of activity in spinal nocireceptive 'low back' neurons by paravertebral somatic stimuli in the cat. Neurosci Lett 241:45-8
Gillette, R G; Kramis, R C; Roberts, W J (1994) Sympathetic activation of cat spinal neurons responsive to noxious stimulation of deep tissues in the low back. Pain 56:31-42
Gillette, R G; Kramis, R C; Roberts, W J (1993) Spinal projections of cat primary afferent fibers innervating lumbar facet joints and multifidus muscle. Neurosci Lett 157:67-71
Gillette, R G; Kramis, R C; Roberts, W J (1993) Characterization of spinal somatosensory neurons having receptive fields in lumbar tissues of cats. Pain 54:85-98
Roberts, W J; Foglesong, M E (1988) Spinal recordings suggest that wide-dynamic-range neurons mediate sympathetically maintained pain. Pain 34:289-304
Roberts, W J; Foglesong, M E (1988) Identification of afferents contributing to sympathetically evoked activity in wide-dynamic-range neurons. Pain 34:305-14
Roberts, W J; Elardo, S M (1986) Clustering of primary afferent fibers in peripheral nerve fascicles by sensory modality. Brain Res 370:149-52
Roberts, W J (1986) A hypothesis on the physiological basis for causalgia and related pains. Pain 24:297-311
Roberts, W J; Elardo, S M (1985) Sympathetic activation of A-delta nociceptors. Somatosens Res 3:33-44
Roberts, W J; Elardo, S M; King, K A (1985) Sympathetically induced changes in the responses of slowly adapting type I receptors in cat skin. Somatosens Res 2:223-36

Showing the most recent 10 out of 11 publications