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Ch. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous System
Martini - Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology 11th Edition
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew11th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874089Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksMartini, Nath, Bartholomew 11th EditionCh. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous SystemProblem 20
Chapter 15, Problem 20

Explain the phenomenon of referred pain in terms of labeled lines and organization of sensory tracts and pathways.

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Begin by defining referred pain: it is the sensation of pain perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus, often occurring because of the way sensory information is processed in the nervous system.
Explain the concept of labeled lines: each sensory neuron transmits specific types of sensory information from a particular region of the body to the brain along dedicated neural pathways, or 'labeled lines,' which the brain interprets as coming from a specific location.
Describe how sensory neurons from different regions can converge onto the same secondary neurons in the spinal cord or brainstem, causing the brain to misinterpret the origin of the pain signal due to overlapping input.
Discuss the organization of sensory tracts and pathways, emphasizing that visceral sensory neurons (from internal organs) and somatic sensory neurons (from skin or muscles) may share common pathways, leading to confusion in the brain about the true source of the pain.
Conclude by explaining that this neural convergence and the brain's interpretation based on labeled lines result in the perception of pain in a somatic region even though the actual stimulus is visceral, which is the basis of referred pain.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Referred Pain

Referred pain occurs when pain originating from one part of the body is perceived as coming from another area, often due to shared neural pathways. This phenomenon is common in visceral pain, where internal organ discomfort is felt on the skin or muscles.
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Labeled Lines Theory

The labeled lines theory states that specific nerve fibers carry distinct sensory information to the brain. Each pathway is 'labeled' for a particular sensation and location, but when signals from different sources converge on the same neurons, misinterpretation can cause referred pain.
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Endosymbiotic Theory

Organization of Sensory Tracts and Pathways

Sensory tracts transmit information from peripheral receptors to the brain in an organized manner. Convergence of visceral and somatic afferent fibers onto common spinal neurons can confuse the brain’s interpretation, leading to the perception of pain in areas different from the actual source.
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Organization of Sensory Pathways Example 1
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Describe the relationship among first-order, second-order, and third-order neurons in a sensory pathway.

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Textbook Question

Damage to the posterior spinocerebellar tract on the left side of the spinal cord at the L1 level would interfere with the coordinated movement of which limb(s)?

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Textbook Question

What effect does injury to the primary motor cortex have on peripheral muscles?

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