Toward the unknown: consciousness and pain
Neuroscience of Consciousness January 1, 2023 R. Ambron
Pain is a conscious sensation that can be studied more tractably than general consciousness. Three neural systems are required: the somatosensory system relays injury information to the thalamus, where awareness of injury arises without painfulness; the affective system modulates pain intensity; and the cognitive system directs attention. Imaging reveals two essential cortical circuits for pain and attention in the anterior cingulate cortex, activated when high-frequency input induces long-term potentiation at synapses on pyramidal neuron apical dendrites, involving AMPA and NMDA receptors and type-1 adenylate cyclase. The apical dendrites form a network where serious injury input produces a local field potential. The author proposes experiments in mouse models to test whether this local field potential is necessary and sufficient for pain consciousness.