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Behavioral Tests for Assessing Pain and Nociception: Relationship with the Brain Reward System

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The Brain Reward System

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 165))

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Abstract

Pain is an unpleasant sensation accompanied by an emotional experience leading to real or potential tissue damage. At the neurobiological level, the sensation of pain is mediated through the activation of nociceptors, which are biological sensory receptors that relay pain-related information to higher brain centers. Conversely, a reward can be defined as an event that produces a pleasant or positive affective experience. Although pain and reward are totally opposing processes, evidence suggests that the neural circuit of pain somewhat overlaps the neural circuit of reward. In this chapter, the relationship between the neural circuit of pain and the reward system, in particular, the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, is discussed. In addition, this chapter describes standard behavioral techniques used to study pain-related behaviors in experimental animals, including techniques that assess primary and secondary hyperalgesia in response to innocuous and noxious heat and mechanical stimulation. The full apparatus is described in detail along with the proper procedure to be followed by the experimenter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Marc Fakhoury

  2. Department of Anatomy, Cell biology & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Reem Habib Mohamad Ali Ahmad, Elie D. Al-Chaer & Nada B. Lawand

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  1. Marc Fakhoury
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  2. Reem Habib Mohamad Ali Ahmad
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  3. Elie D. Al-Chaer
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  4. Nada B. Lawand
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nada B. Lawand .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Marc Fakhoury

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Fakhoury, M., Ahmad, R.H.M.A., Al-Chaer, E.D., Lawand, N.B. (2021). Behavioral Tests for Assessing Pain and Nociception: Relationship with the Brain Reward System. In: Fakhoury, M. (eds) The Brain Reward System. Neuromethods, vol 165. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1146-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1146-3_8

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1145-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1146-3

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