Nociceptív

Nociceptív is a term used to describe nociception, the neural processes by which potentially harmful stimuli are detected and encoded by the nervous system. It involves peripheral nociceptors—free nerve endings in tissues that respond to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli. When activated, signals are carried by primary afferent fibers, including A-delta fibers for fast, sharp sensations and C fibers for slower, dull sensations, to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. From there, second-order neurons relay the information via pathways such as the spinothalamic tract to the thalamus and then to cortical regions, including the somatosensory cortex, insula and anterior cingulate cortex, contributing to the perception of the stimulus as pain and to its location, intensity, and quality.

Nociception is distinct from pain, which is the conscious experience that can be influenced by context, emotion and expectation. Nociceptive pain arises from actual or threatened tissue damage and can be categorized as somatic (skin, muscle, joints) or visceral (internal organs). The nociceptive system can be modulated by descending inhibitory pathways, endogenous analgesic mechanisms and pharmacologic agents such as NSAIDs or opioids that reduce signaling along these pathways.

Clinically, nociception can be altered by sensitization: peripheral sensitization lowers the threshold of nociceptors at injury sites, and central sensitization in the spinal cord can amplify pain signals. Understanding nociception is fundamental to interpreting pain states, including distinguishing nociceptive pain from neuropathic pain, which results from nerve damage and often presents with different qualities and treatment responses.