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Allodynia and Alloknesis

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Encyclopedia of Pain

Synonyms

Alloknesis and Allodynia

Definition

Allodynia and alloknesis are abnormal sensory states wherein normally innocuous stimuli elicit unpleasant sensations or aversive responses.

Allodynia is the nociceptive sensation or aversive response evoked by a stimulus that is normally non-nociceptive (“allo” – “other”; “dynia” - pain). For example, a light stroking of the skin produced by the lateral motion of clothing, or the heat produced by the body are stimuli that do not elicit nociceptive sensations or responses under normal circumstances. However, these stimuli may become nociceptive after a cutaneous injury produced, for example, by sunburn. In contrast, hyperalgesia is defined as the abnormal nociceptive state in which a normally painful stimulus such as the prick of a needle elicits a greater than normal duration and/or magnitude of pain.

Alloknesis is the itch or pruriceptive sensation (from the Latin word prurire, to itch) or scratching behavior evoked by a stimulus that is...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Robert H. LaMotte

Authors
  1. Robert H. LaMotte
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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LaMotte, R. (2007). Allodynia and Alloknesis. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_154

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_154

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

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