Spinal Afferent Processing

Some 29 scientists from the fields of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neu­ rophysiology, neuropharmacology, and behavior have contributed their ef­ forts to this testimonial on behalf of the contributions made by Dr. F. W. L. Kerr to science and to those with whom he interacted. The intention of the contributors to this volume was to deal with the manifold advances that pertain to the substrates in spinal cord relating to the processing of sensory infor­ mation, a subject that in one form or another provoked time and again Kerr's native enthusiasm for research. The organization of the book follows a natural course from the peripheral innervation of the somatic and visceral organs (Winkelmann, Chapter 2) to the effective stimuli that activate these fibers and give rise to sensation under normal and pathological conditions (Campbell and Meyer, Chapter 3; Dubner and colleagues, Chapter 13; Dyck, Chapter 14) to the course these afferent systems take to enter the spinal cord (Coggeshall, Chapter 4) and to the organization of the systems through which this afferent information reaches the brain (Willis, Chapter 11; Vierck and colleagues, Chapter 12). Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii A Short Biography of F. W. L. Kerr, M.D.....Pages 1-18 Sensory Receptors of the Skin....Pages 19-57 Primary Afferents and Hyperalgesia....Pages 59-81 Nonclassical Features of Dorsal Root Ganglion Cell Organization....Pages 83-96 Organization of Dorsal Horn Neurotransmitter Systems....Pages 97-116 Neurotransmitter Receptor Sites in the Spinal Cord....Pages 117-139 The Pattern and Place of Nociceptive Modulation in the Dorsal Horn....Pages 141-164 The Central Pharmacology of Primary Afferents with Emphasis on the Disposition and Role of Primary Afferent Substance P....Pages 165-195 Dorsal Horn Neurons and Their Sensory Inputs....Pages 197-216 Spinal Substrates of Visceral Pain....Pages 217-242 Ascending Somatosensory Systems....Pages 243-274 The Spinal Pathways Contributing to the Ascending Conduction and the Descending Modulation of Pain Sensations and Reactions....Pages 275-329 Sensory-Discriminative Capacities of Nociceptive Pathways and Their Modulation by Behavior....Pages 331-344 Detection Thresholds of Cutaneous Sensations in Health and Disease in Man....Pages 345-362 Control Systems for Nociceptive Afferent Processing....Pages 363-390 Modulatory Effects of Descending Systems on Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons....Pages 391-416 The Controversial Nature of the Evidence for Neuroplasticity of Afferent Axons in the Spinal Cord....Pages 417-443 The Question of How the Dorsal Horn Encodes Sensory Information....Pages 445-466 Aspects of Sensory Processing through Convergent Neurons....Pages 467-504 The Effects of Intrathecally Administered Opioid and Adrenergic Agents on Spinal Function....Pages 505-539 Back Matter....Pages 541-550