ARE THERE SEPARATE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM PATHWAYS FOR TOUCH AND PAIN

Information about bodily events is conveyed by primary sensory fibres to higher brain centres through neurons in the dorsal column nuclei (D CN) and spinal dorsal horn. The DCN route is commonly considered a 'to uch pathway', separate from the spinal 'pain pathway', in part because DCN neurons respond to gentle tactile stimulation of small skin areas . Here we report that DCN neurons can additionally respond to gentle a nd noxious stimulation of viscera and widespread skin regions. These a nd other experimental and clinical data suggest that the DCN and spina l routes cooperate, rather than operate separately, to produce the man y perceptions of touch and pain, an ensemble view that encourages nove l approaches to health care and research.