Abstract
The superficial dorsal horn is a morphologically distinct region of the grey matter of the spinal cord that has been recognized as a separate anatomical entity for over 150 years. It contains the first synaptic relay of fine afferent fibres from skin, muscle and viscera and for this reason has been regarded as an important site for the initial processing of signals directly related to the transmission and modulation of pain. Every neurobiological technique (light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, single unit electrophysiology, electron microscopy) has shown more and more distinct features of this region of the dorsal horn which make it clearly different from the rest of the spinal grey matter. Moreover, some of these peculiarities point to fundamental differences — functional as well as anatomical — in the processing of the sensory information mediated by fine afferent fibres as opposed to the processing of the signals carried by large myelinated afferents.
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© 1989 Plenum Press
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Cervero, F. (1989). The Superficial Dorsal Horn. In: Cervero, F., Bennett, G.J., Headley, P.M. (eds) Processing of Sensory Information in the Superficial Dorsal Horn of the Spinal Cord. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0825-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0825-6_1
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