nozizeptiven

Nozizeptiven, or nociceptive in English, refers to the sensory processes that detect and transmit information about potentially damaging or noxious stimuli through specialized receptors called nociceptors. These receptors are free nerve endings located in the skin, joints, muscles, and many internal organs, and they respond to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli such as tissue injury or inflammation.

Nociceptors project to the central nervous system via small-diameter fibers, including A-delta fibers (fast, sharp pain) and C fibers (slow, dull pain). Signals travel to the spinal cord and synapse in the dorsal horn. From there, ascending pathways such as the spinothalamic tract convey information to the thalamus and onward to cortical areas, including the somatosensory cortex, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, where pain is perceived and its emotional aspects are processed. The body also employs descending modulatory systems that can either dampen or amplify nociceptive transmission.

Inflammation and tissue injury commonly cause sensitization. Peripheral sensitization lowers the activation threshold of nociceptors via mediators like prostaglandins and bradykinin, while central sensitization can enhance signal processing in the spinal cord and brain, contributing to hyperalgesia and allodynia.

Nociceptive pain arises from real or potential tissue damage and is distinct from neuropathic pain, which results from nerve injury or dysfunction. Clinically, nociception is a target for analgesic strategies that act at peripheral transduction, spinal processing, or supraspinal levels to alleviate pain.