Noxious Mechanosensation

Abstract

This article introduces a number of critical features of mechanical transduction and neuronal sensory coding, with particular reference to mechanical pain. High threshold mechanoreceptors (HTMRs) in skin are the first relay point for the transduction of noxious mechanical force into the nervous system, and their properties determine how and when nociceptive signal is relayed up to the central nervous system. The article describes the structure and physiology of the mechano-nociceptors and explains the peripheral molecular mechanisms of transduction leading to mechanical pain. In addition, this article also describes a set of computer models of HTMRs and relevant ion channels representing structural and biophysical features of the biological prototype. A better understanding of HTMRs’ function may lead to the development of novel therapeutic pathways in the treatment of chronic mechanical pain.