PAINS, BRAINS, AND OPIUM

In this response, I discuss the roles of the peripheral afferent drive in the maintenance of persistent pain, the concept of preemptive anal gesia and the importance of the brain, the detailed involvement of whi ch in pain is far less well understood compared to the events in the s pinal cord. A comparison of pain to other sensory modalities is then m ade together with a discussion of learning and pain. These facets of p ain are discussed in the light of treatment strategies for this condit ion.