What causes us to feel pain? What did scientists discover about people who are more sensitive to pain? What might be a possible treatment?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How do you feel pain?
What causes us to feel pain? What did scientists discover about people who are more sensitive to pain? What might be a possible treatment?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Each person has their own unique pain threshold. Approximately 10-30% of the population may have a significantly lower threshold than others. Scientists have just recently found out that this is caused because of a difference in part of their DNA structure. People with a low threshold(both women and men)have an A base instead of a G, at a certain location in the gene SCN9A. This "mutation" causes that nerve cells to take longer to close their sodium gates, which allows a stronger pain signal to be sent to the brain. Nerve cells carrying the more common G version of the gene snapped shut faster, stopping the pain signal; causing the person to feel less pain.
ReplyDeleteWhen pain messages reach your spinal cord, they meet up with specialized nerve cells that act as gatekeepers, which filter the pain messages on their way to your brain. For severe pain that's linked to bodily harm, such as when you touch a hot stove, the "gate" is wide open, and the messages take an express route to your brain. Weak pain messages, however, may be filtered or blocked out by the gate. Nerve fibers that transmit touch also affect gatekeeper cells. This explains why rubbing a sore area -- such as the site of a stubbed toe -- makes it feel better. The signals of touch from the rubbing actually decreases the transmission of pain signals.
ReplyDeleteThe sensation of pain is caused by stimuli affecting nerves. This process may be disturbed in some people, however. In ten to thirty percent of individuals, there is an A instead of a G in the DNA strand in the gene SCN9A. This is because there are nerves that do not function normally. Whereas the protein that sits on the outside of nerve cells usually stays there against painful stimuli, this genetic variation causes the protein to let sodium into the cell. This mutation can cause a higher sensitivity to pain. If this protein channel can be turned on or off, a treatment could be developed. Although this protein channel is a hopeful discovery, treatment could render the patient oblivious to pain for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeletePain is different to every person. Everyone has a different threshold which is a minimum amount of [pain] for someone to feel anything. Most people have simar DNA sequences that have a similar threshold so it may take a certain amount of pain until the brain tells your body that you are in pain. But some peoples' thresh holds are so sensitive because their DNA sequence differs. They feel pain harder and more easily than most.
ReplyDeleteMichael 6
Sensory neurons and motor neurons send elctric messges to the spinal cord into the brain. Motor neurons are for any reflexes that you may have. For example, if you stepped on a nail bare foot then your reaction would be pulling your foot back. Sensory neurons send the message of any sense as well as pain. In the gene SCN9A, people are supposed to have the G; but now 10% to 30% of people have the A in the SCN9A gene. The G is etter because is stops the pain signal faster and so A will be causing more pain to the body. treatment for this kind of problem is chronic pain.
ReplyDeleteSome people naturaly feel more pain than others. Scientist found that the majority of these people have an A instead of an G in a certian location of a gene called SCN9A. A channel protien that is outside the nerve cell lets sodium in where sodium acesses stimuli and with this the sodium causes the nerve cells send pain messages to the brain. This is how people fell pain. But the A instead of the G can make the channel protien's structure different causing more amounts of pain. This discovery may help scientists in finding a way to turn the channel protien off. This would help people feel no pain or little pain if they cannot turn it fully off but slow the protien down.
ReplyDeletePain killers cause so harsh side affects and research has begun to find out new ways to ease or stop pain without these side affects. Scientist in the UK have recently found out that 10-30% of people have a DNA mutation that cause them to feel worse pain then normal people. These people have a lower threshold. Scientist have shown that these people experience more pain. Through looking at these people they can now know what is causing this pain and therefore find a way to ease it more effectively.
ReplyDeleteResearchers from Cambridge Medical Research examined the DNA of 578 people who carried the condition called osteoarthritis. People who had higher levels of pain carried a particular DNA base. They had an A rather than a G at a certain location in the gene. When the gene is like that, it could trigger the pain. Researchers found that nerve cells carrying the A variant of the gene took longer to close their sodium gates. Closing the sodium gates sends a stronger pain signal to be sent. Nerve cells that carried the more common G version of the gene snapped shut faster, stopping the pain signal sooner.
ReplyDeleteKirsten 6*
Pain is caused by pain messages going to your spinal cord and effecting other nerves. Scientists discovered that people who feel more severe pain is stimulated by the recurring DNA base A rather than G, on a specific gene. Genetic variation that affects the structure of a protein increases pain messages. A possible treatment is to make the protein inactive so a person can't feel the pain at all.
ReplyDelete