In May 2016, it was suggested by the US athletes playing games of National Basketball Association (NBA) in television that the pain sensation might result from the post-sensory nociceptive-sympathetic coupling. In this re-view, it is attempted to newly delineate the underlying neural pathways for this post-sensory nociceptive-sympathetic coupling. Based on the con-temporary feedback neural circuits of pain transmission in spinal cord, it is summarized that the Aδ- and C-fibers relay the sensory noxious signals to the laminae I, II and V of dorsal spinal horn, and in turn activate the peria-queductal grey (PAG) in midbrain, which feedbacks via raphe to inhibit the nociceptive transmission of spinal cord. Herein it is newly added that, as extension of the contemporary feedback pain circuits, the neurons in laminae I and V of dorsal spinal horn as well as those in PAG can additionally activate the sympathetic outputs, completing the post-sensory nocicep-tive-sympathetic coupling. It is emphasized that such nocicep-tive-sympathetic coupling would contribute at least partially to the pain sensation because of sympathetically maintained pain. It is also pointed out that the neurons in parabrachial area (PB) can concurrently relay the nociceptive inputs from spinal cord while regulating the respiration, coor-dinating the nociceptive and respiratory activities during pain sensation. Because both PAG and PB are below thalamus, it is speculated that these sympathetic and respiratory associations with pain are primitive and uni-versal in evolution in vertebrates. It is expected to promote this hypothesis to revise the pain mechanisms in vertebrates and the relevant investigations in the future.
Cite this paper
Cai, Z. (2019). The Neural Pathways for the Hypothetic Nociceptive-Sympathetic Coupling of NBA for Pain Sensation. Open Access Library Journal, 6, e5780. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1105780.
Cai, Z.-J. (2016) The Hypothetic Post-Sensory Nociceptive-Sympathetic Coupling Necessary for Pain Sensation from NBA. Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience, 7, 141. https://doi.org/10.21767/2171-6625.1000141
Lawson, S.N. (2002) Phenotype and Function of Somatic Primary Afferent Nociceptive Neurones with C-, Adelta- or Aalpha/Beta-Fibres. Experi-mental Physiology, 87, 239-244. https://doi.org/10.1113/eph8702350
Haggard, P., Iannetti, G.D. and Longo, M.R. (2013) Spatial Sensory Organization and Body Representation in Pain Perception. Current Biology, 23, R164-R176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.047
Todd, A.J. (2002) Anatomy of Primary Afferents and Projection Neurones in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn with Particular Emphasis on Substance P and the Neurokinin 1 Receptor. Experimental Physiology, 87, 245-249. https://doi.org/10.1113/eph8702351
Kobayashi, Y. (1998) Distribution and Morphology of Spinothalamic Tract Neurons in the Rat. Anatomy and Embryology, 197, 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004290050119
Basbaum, A.I. and Fields, H.L. (1978) Endogenous Pain Control Mechanisms: Review and Hypothesis. Annals of Neurology, 4, 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410040511
Mayer, D.J. (1984) Analgesia Produced by Electrical Stimulation of the Brain. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 8, 557-564. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-5846(84)90015-0
Roberts, W.J. (1986) A Hypothesis on the Physiological Basis for Causalgia and Related Pains. Pain, 24, 297-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(86)90116-8
Xie, W., Strong, J.A., Li, H. and Zhang, J.M. (2007) Sympathetic Sprouting Near Sensory Neurons after Nerve Injury Occurs Preferentially on Spontaneously Active Cells and Is Reduced by Early Nerve Block. Journal of Neurophysiology, 97, 492-502. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00899.2006
Cividjian, A., Petitjeans, F., Liu, N., Ghignone, M., de Kock, M. and Quintin, L. (2017) Do We Feel Pain during Anesthesia? A Critical Review on Surgery-Evoked Circulatory Changes and Pain Perception. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology, 31, 445-467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpa.2017.05.001
Liu, T. and Ji, R.R. (2013) New Insights into the Mechanisms of Itch: Are Pain and Itch Controlled by Distinct Mechanisms? Pflügers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology, 465, 1671-1685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-013-1284-2
Baraniuk, J.N. (2012) Rise of the Sensors: Nociception and Pruritus. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 12, 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-012-0245-8
Kobuch, S., Fazalbhoy, A., Brown, R., Macefield, V.G. and Henderson, L.A. (2018) Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity-Coupled Changes in Brain Activity During Sustained Muscle Pain. Brain and Behavior, 8, e00888. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.888
Guo, Z., Li, P. and Longhurst, J.C. (2002) Central Pathways in the Pons and Midbrain Involved in Cardiac Sympathoexcitatory Reflexes in Cats. Neuroscience, 113, 435-447. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4522(02)00173-2
Craig, A.D. (1993) Propriospinal Input to Thoracolumbar Sympathetic Nuclei from Cervical and Lumbar Lamina I Neurons in the Cat and the Monkey. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 331, 517-530. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.903310407
Cabot, J.B., Alessi, V., Carroll, J. and Ligorio, M.(1994) Spinal Cord Lamina V and Lamina VII Interneuronal Projections to Sympathetic Preganglionic Neurons. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 347, 515-530. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.903470404
Dembowsky, K., Czachurski, J. and Seller, H. (1985) An Intracellular Study of the Synaptic Input to Sympathetic Preganglionic Neurones of the Third Tho-racic Segment of the Cat. Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System, 13, 201-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1838(85)90012-8
Spanswick, D., Renaud, L.P. and Logan, S.D. (1998) Bilaterally Evoked Monosynaptic EPSPs, NMDA Receptors and Potentiation in Rat Sympathetic Preganglionic Neurones in Vitro. The Journal of Physiology, 509, 195-209. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7793.1998.195bo.x
Jiang, M., Alheid, G.F., Calandriello, T. and McCrimmon, D.R. (2004) Parabrachial-Lateral Pontine Neurons Link Nociception and Breathing. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology, 143, 215-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2004.07.019
Sneddon, L.U. (2004) Evolution of Nociception in Vertebrates: Comparative Analysis of Lower Vertebrates. Brain Research Reviews, 46, 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.07.007
Dunlop, R. and Laming, P. (2005) Mechanoreceptive and Nociceptive Responses in the Central Nervous System of Goldfish (Carassius auratus) and Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The Journal of Pain, 6, 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2005.02.010
Hamamoto, D.T. and Simone, D.A. (2003) Characterization of Cutaneous Primary Afferent Fibers Excited by Acetic Acid in a Model of Nociception in Frogs. Journal of Neurophysiology, 90, 566-577. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00324.2003
Zhuo, M. (2016) Contribution of Synaptic Plasticity in the Insular Cortex to Chronic Pain. Neuroscience, 338, 220-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.014
