Underprotective and Overactive Pain Perception: Problems and Possible Solutions :: Biology Biological Pain Papers

Underprotective and Overactive Pain Perception: Problems and Possible Solutions Pain is probably one of the most universal perceptions that humans, or indeed any animal, can experience. From stress headaches to stubbing one's toe, we come into contact with pain on a daily basis. This is normal data about the experience of pain. However, there are several groups of people that do not feel pain in a common way. Either they don't feel enough pain to tell them that something is wrong, as in the cases of lepers and some diabetics, or they have too much pain, as in the cases of some diabetics, people with phantom limb pain, cancer victims, stroke victims, and other diseases of the brain or spinal cord (Casey, 1996). The effects of pain on these people is in many cases debilitating; their normal lives are likely gone or, at best, on hiatus. These reasons are incentive enough for scientists trying to discover more ways to eradicate wanton pain (or the absence of pain) because there is a threat that many of us, at some point, will be subject to these same problems. The first case of underprotective pain perception that will be discussed is that of leprosy. Leprosy is a bacterial pathogen (M. leprae) that attacks the peripherial nervous system in humans and is the leading cause of peripheral nerve disease in the world. The bacteria attack the Scwann cells that form the myelin sheath around nerve fibers. Without the protection and insulation of the myelin sheath, nerve cells fire inefficiently. The net results of this bacterial infection are skin lesions and damage to the nerves, mainly in the extremities and facial area (Henderson, 1998) . The result of the nerve damage that is pertinant to this topic is the loss of sensation. This lack of feeling complicates normal living: the person with leprosy is not able to identify cuts or burns on his or her skin. Without the protection of normal pain responses, this person could conceivably fail to notice for quite some time that he has been injured and therefore not take further conscious protective measures such as cleaning the cut with alcohol or treating the burn with salve. The effects of this lack of protective sensation are grim: lesions and eventual deformities result from the lack of care given to the body. Although luckily the bacteria can be killed with a month-long course of several drugs, unfortunately the nerve damage is permanent (Henderson, 1998).