Abstract
It is well known that sympathetic blocks may relieve pain in reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), but the links between the sympathetic and nociceptive systems are poorly understood. One may speculate that there is a priori an increased sympathetic outflow, which is abolished by the block. Further, it is conceivable that various types of receptive nerve endings in the painful region may be abnormally reactive to sympathetic stimulation. It is also possible that the input from peripheral receptors, some of which may respond normally or abnormally to sympathetic stimulation, is abnormally treated in the central nervous system.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Barasi, S., Lynn, B. Effects of sympathetic stimulation on mechanoreceptive and nocioceptive afferent units from the rabbit pinna. Brain Res., 378: 21–27, 1986.
Campbell, J.N., Raja, S.N., Meyer, R.A. Mackinnon, S.E. Myelinated afferents signal the hyperalgesia associated with nerve injury. Pain, 32: 89–94 1988.
Cline, M.A., Ochoa, J.L., Torebjörk, H.E. Chronic hyperalgesia and skin warming caused by sensitized C nociceptors. Brain, in press, 1989.
Fruhstorfer, H., Lindblom, U., Schmidt, W.G. Method for quantitative estimation of thermal thresholds in patients. J. NeuroL Neurosurg. Psychiatr., 39: 1071–1075, 1976.
Hallin, R.G., Torebjork, H.E. Studies on cutaneous A and C fibre afferents, skin nerve blocks and perception. In: Y. Zotterman (Ed.) Sensoiy Functions of the Skin in Primates, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, pp. 137–149, 1979.
Hallin, R.G., Torebjörk, H.E. Afferent and efferent C units recorded from human skin nerves in situ. Acta Soc. Med. Upsal., 75: 277–281, 1970.
Hallin, R.G., Torebjork, H.E. Single unit sympathetic activity in human skin nerves during rest and various manoeuvres. Acta Physiol. Scand., 92: 303–317, 1976.
Hagbarth, K-E., Hongell, A., Hallin, R.G., Torebjörk, H.E. Afferent impulses in median nerve fascicles evoked by tactile stimuli of the human hand. Brain Res., 24: 423–442, 1970.
Hagbarth, K.E., Hallin, R.G., Hongell, A., Torebjörk, H.E., Wallin, B.G. General characteristics of sympathetic activity in human skin nerves. Acta Physiol. Scand., 84: 164–176, 1972.
Lindblom, U. Touch perception threshold in human glabrous skin in terms of displacement amplitude on stimulation with single mechanical pulses. Brain Res., 82: 205–210, 1974.
Lindblom, U., Verillo, V.T. Sensory functions in chronic neuralgia. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat., 42: 422–435, 1979.
Loh, L., Nathan, P.W. Painful peripheral states and sympathetic blocks. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat., 41: 664–671, 1978.
Mackenzie, R.A., Burke, D., Skuse, N.F., Lehlean, A.K. Fibre function and perception during cutaneous nerve block. J. NeuroL Neurosurg. Psyehiat., 38: 865–873, 1975.
Merrington, W.R., Nathan, P.W. A study of post-ischaemic paraesthesiae. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psyehiat., 12: 1–18, 1949.
Ochoa, J.L., Torebjörk, H.E. Paraesthesiae from ectopic impulse generation in human sensory nerves. Brain, 103: 835–853, 1980.
Ochoa, J.L., Torebjörk, H.E. Sensations evoked by intraneural myostimulation of single meehanoreceptor units innervating the human hand. J. Physiol (Lond.), 342: 633–654, 1983.
Pierce, J.P., Boberts, W.J. Sympathetically induced changes in the responses of guard hair and type II receptors in the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.), 314: 411–428, 1981.
Roberts, W.J., Elardo, S.M. Sympathetic activation of A-delta nociceptors. Somatosens. Bes., 3: 33–44, 1985.
Roberts, W.J., Elardo, S.M., King, K.A. Sympathetically-induced changes in the responses of slowly-adapting type I receptors in cat skin. Somatosens. Res., 2: 223–236, 1985.
Sehady, W.J.L., Torebjork, H.E., Ochoa, J.L. Peripheral projections of nerve fibres in the human median nerve. Brain Res., 277: 249–261, 1983.
Shea, V.K, Perl, E.R. Failure of sympathetic stimulation to effect responsiveness of rabbit polymodal nociceptors. J. NeurophysioL, 54: 513–520, 1985.
Torebjörk, H.E., Hallin, R.G. Perceptual changes accompanying controlled preferential blocking of A and C fibre responses in intact human skin nerves. Exp. Brain Res., 16: 321–332, 1973.
Torebjörk, H.E., Hallin, R.G. Microneurographic studies of peripheral pain mechanisms in man. In: J.J. Bonica et al, (Eds.) Advances in Pain Research and Therapy, Vol 3, Raven Press, New York, pp. 121–131, 1979.
Torebjörk, H.E., Ochoa, J. Specific sensations evoked by activity in single identified sensory units in man. Acta Physiol Scand., 110: 445–447, 1980.
Torebjork, H.E., Schady, W., Ochoa, J.L. A new method for demonstration of central effects of analgesic agents in man. J. Neurol Neurosurg. Psychiat., 47: 862–869, 1984a.
Torebjörk, H.E., LaMotte, R.H., Robinson, C.J. Peripheral neural correlates of magnitude of cutaneous pain and hyperalgesia: Simultaneous recordings in humans of sensory judgments of pain and evoked responses in nociceptors with C-fibers. J. Neurophysiol., 51: 325–339, 1984b.
Wallin, B.G., Torebjörk, H.E., Hallin, R.G. Preliminary observations on the pathophysiology of hyperalgesia in the causalgic pain syndrome. In Y. Zotterman (Ed.) Sensoiy Functions of the Skin in Primates. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp. 489–499, 1976.
Wiesenfeld-Hallin, Z., Hallin, R.G. The influence of the sympathetic system on mechanoreception and nociception. A review. Hum. Neurobiol., 3: 41–46, 1984.
Woolf, C.J. Evidence for a central component in post-injury pain hypersensitivity. Nature (Lond.), 306: 686–688, 1983.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Torebjörk, E. (1990). Clinical and Neurophysiological Observations Relating to Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. In: Stanton-Hicks, M., Jänig, W., Boas, R.A. (eds) Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Current Management of Pain, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0685-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0685-6_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8026-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0685-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive