UI - 000010

AU - Kerr FW

AU - Wilson PR

TI - Pain

AB - IN: Mayo Clinic & Foundation, Rochester, MN LA: English AB: Reviews recent contributions

towards understanding pain mechanisms, including stimulus-produced analgesia, identification of the opiate

receptor, elucidation of the mechanisms and sites of action of morphine analgesia, and the discovery and

characterization of an entirely new endogenous analgesic system. The literature cited deals primarily with

animal research, but the application of these findings to human investigations and to medical procedures

(such as dorsal rhizotomy and cordotomy) is also considered. The lack of an acceptable animal model for

human chronic pain is noted. The authors theorize that pain is mediated via a specific system that is

particularly sensitive to noxious stimuli. However, pain control as an ultimate research goal is still elusive.

(51/2 p ref) (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1980 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved) KP: role

of stimulus produced analgesia & identification of endogenous opiate receptors & mechanisms & sites of

action of morphine analgesia in understanding of pain mechanisms; literature review AN: 64-02761

SO - Annual Review of Neuroscience 1978;1:83-102