The Semantics of Pain in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Wilson, Nicole L.

doi:10.1080/0964704x.2012.684610

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Until a few decades ago, the term pain as a symptom of eye pathology was generally reserved for the sensations accompanying predominantly traumatic or infectious keratitis, iridocyclitis, angle closure glaucoma, and other entities [2]. This evolution of our understanding of ocular pain has parallels to pain in general, which was initially described by Celsus, a Roman scholar, as one of the signs (dolor) of inflammation, and has evolved ever since [3]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

TFOS DEWS II pain and sensation report

et al. 2017

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Pain associated to mechanical and chemical irritation of the eye surface is mediated by trigeminal ganglia mechano- and polymodal nociceptor neurons while cold thermoreceptors detect wetness and reflexly maintain basal tear production and blinking rate. These neurons project into two regions of the trigeminal brain stem nuclear complex: ViVc, activated by changes in the moisture of the ocular surface and VcC1, mediating sensory-discriminative aspects of ocular pain and reflex blinking. ViVc ocular neurons project to brain regions that control lacrimation and spontaneous blinking and to the sensory thalamus. Secretion of the main lacrimal gland is regulated dominantly by autonomic parasympathetic nerves, reflexly activated by eye surface sensory nerves. These also evoke goblet cell secretion through unidentified efferent fibers. Neural pathways involved in the regulation of Meibonian gland secretion or mucins release have not been identified. In dry eye disease, reduced tear secretion leads to inflammation and peripheral nerve damage. Inflammation causes sensitization of polymodal and mechano-nociceptor nerve endings and an abnormal increase in cold thermoreceptor activity, altogether evoking dryness sensations and pain. Long-term inflammation and nerve injury alter gene expression of ion channels and receptors at terminals and cell bodies of trigeminal ganglion and brainstem neurons, changing their excitability, connectivity and impulse firing. Perpetuation of molecular, structural and functional disturbances in ocular sensory pathways ultimately leads to dysestesias and neuropathic pain referred to the eye surface. Pain can be assessed with a variety of questionaires while the status of corneal nerves is evaluated with esthesiometry and with in vivo confocal microscopy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

TFOS DEWS II pain and sensation report

et al. 2017

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“…The kidneys give the impression of a harsh pain and of a steady constriction with the [feeling of] stabbing…. One can suffer from such an assortment of pain that it leads to some ambiguity of expression (Galen 1976, II.9, 60; see also Wilson 2013) Galen argues that it is important to note-by means of the patient's descriptions-which types of pains occur in which locations, and whether or not those are known to be typical of those parts (1976, II.5, 47). Following Plato and Hippocrates, he thinks that pains are caused when some part is changed contrary to its nature, as when the humoral balance of some part is altered or when the part is physically cut, torn, bruised, or the like.…”

Section: The Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The History of the Concept of Pain: How the Experts Came to be Out of Touch with the Folk

Goldberg,

Reuter,

Sytsma

2023

Advances in Experimental Philosophy of Medicine

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In this chapter we consider the tension between how pain researchers today typically define pains and the dominant, ordinary conception of pain. While both philosophers and pain scientists define pains as experiences, taking this to correspond with the ordinary understanding, recent empirical evidence indicates that laypeople tend to think of pains as qualities of bodily states. How did this divide come about? To answer, we sketch the historical origins of the concept of pain in Western medicine, providing evidence that during large swaths of this history, medical experts characterized pains as laypeople tend to today-that is, as qualities of bodily states. The conception of pains as experiences that we find in contemporary definitions seems to be a relatively recent development corresponding with changes in the diagnostic tools available to doctors. We argue that this history is important and suggests that the most prominent current scientific definition of pain (IASP) is partly stipulative and fails to match how laypeople most often think of pain. We suggest that either we should acknowledge this stipulative character, or else should amend the IASP definition in a pluralistic fashion that notes both bodily and experiential conceptions of pain.1 Forthcoming in Advances in Experimental Philosophy of Medicine edited by K. Hens and A. De Block. We want to thank an anonymous reviewer for helpful suggestions on an earlier version of this chapter.

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