Molecular Pain Book

PART 1: GENES, NEURONS AND NEUROTRANSMISSION.- Genes and Neurons.- Synapses: Coupling of Presynaptic Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels to Vesicular Relase of Neurotransmitter.- Synaptic Vesicle Cycle at Nerve Terminals.- PART 2: GLUTAMATE, EXCITATORY TRANSMISSION AND PAIN.- Postsynaptic Excitatory Transmission.- Kainate Receptors.- Excitatory Amino Acid Neurotransmitter Regulation.- Spinal Glutamate Receptors. - Glutamate KA Recptor in Pain Transmission and Modulation.- PART 3: NEUROPEPTIDES, ATP, RETROGRADE MESSENGERS AND OPIOIDS.- Neuropeptides.- ATP and Its Receptors in Pain.- Opioid Receptors.- Retrograde Messengers.- PART 4: INHIBITORY TRANSMISSION AND PLASTICITY.- Inhibitory Transmission.- Plasticity of Inhibition: GABA/Glycine Systems.- PART 5: POSTSYNAPTIC SIGNALING AND GENE REGULATION.- Protein Kinases and Phosphatases.- Activity-dependent Gene Regulation: How do Synapses Talk to the Nucleus and Fine-tune Neuronal Outputs?.- Second Messenger Pathways in Pain.- Genetic Approaches for the Study of Pain.- PART 6: PERIPHERAL NOCICEPTOR, AMYGDALA AND FEAR.- Peripheral Nociceptors.- Amygdala—Pain Processing and Pain Modulation.- Fear Learning.- PART 7: SPINAL PLASTICITY, REORGANIZATION AND CHRONIC PAIN.- Silent Glutamergic Synapses and Long-term Facilitation in Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons.- Anatomical Changes in the Spinal Dorsal Horn After Peripheral Nerve Injury.- Spinal Microglia in Neuropathic Pain Plasticity.- PART 8: CORTICAL PLASTICITY, REORGANIZATION AND AMPUTATION.- ACC Plasticity.- Reorganization of the Sensorimotor System after Injury.- PART 9: ENDOGENOUS ANALGESIA AND OTHER FORMS OF ANALGESIA.- Endogenous Biphasic Modulation.- Paradoxical Analgesica nd Hyperalgesic Effects of Stress.- Acupuncture Analgesia.- Mechanisms of Opioid Tolerance.- PART 10: MODELS FOR STUDYING PAIN AND SEARCHING FOR PAIN KILLERS.- Models in Pain Research.- Models for Studying Pain and Searching for Pain Killers in Vitro Electrophysiological Studies of Pain.- Whole-cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Vivo.- Basic Mechanisms of Clinically Used Drugs.- References.- Appendix I: Units in Pain Research.- Appendix II: Useful Websites for the Study of Pain.- Appendix III: Lists of Scientific Journals Publishing Studies in Pain.- Appendix IV: Fundamental and Innovative Contributions to Understanding of Basic Mechanisms of Pain, Analgesia and Persistent Pain