Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 1992-11
Simple Non-Invasive Mapping of Pain Pathways in Living Humans,and the Effects of Acute Non-Invasively Induced Pain on Substance P,Oncogen C-fos Ab1,Oncogen C-fos Ab2,Dopamine,and Acetylcholine
Most of the present knowledge on pain pathways is based on invasive animal experiments. In 1987, using the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test, Omura found that pain pathways can be evaluated non-invasively in living humans. In this paper, actual examples of such cases are reported. When mild pain was created by pinching different fingers of a normal human subject by placing a plastic clamp on the skin above a pain pathway, the indirect Bi-Digital O-Ring Test, through a fine electroconductive metal wire held by a third person, showed marked weakening of muscle tone of the third person resulting in the opening of the Bi-Digital O-Ring, which was preselected only when the minimum essential requirements to perform the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test were satisfied. The pain pathway thus detected had the following characteristics: For example, when the lateral side of the 5th finger of the left hand was pinched, the pathway was approximately along the ulnar nerve and then went to the dorsal root of the spinal cord around the area corresponding to the lower end of the 7th cervical vertebrae/upper end of the 1st thoracic vertabrae. At this level, the pain pathway goes to the opposite side (right side) then laterally up to the lower one-third of the medulla oblongata. It then turns horizontally from the right side to the left side at the same level, then goes up in the left side of the center of the medulla oblongata. At the left side it goes to the pons, and in the upper pan of the pons it turns towards the midline. It then goes up and turns to the right side of the right cerebral cortex corresponding to the lateral side of the 5th finger. A similar pattern was observed through the corresponding nerve for each of the fingers, and their entry points are as follows: the medial side of the 1st finger goes to the lower end of the 4th cervical vertebrae, and the lateral side of the 1st finger goes to the upper end of the 5th cervical vertebrae; the medial side of the 2nd finger goes to the lower end of the 5th cervical vertebrae, and the lateral side of the 2nd finger goes into the upper end of the 6th cervical vertebrae; the medial side of the 3rd finger goes in at the upper edge of the 6th cervical vertebrae, and the lateral side of the 3rd finger goes into the upper end of the 6th cervical vertebrae; the medial side of the 4th finger goes into the lower edge of the 6th cervical vertebrae, and the lateral side of the 4th finger goes into the upper edge of the 7th cervical vertebrae; the medial side of the 5th finger goes into the lower end of the 7th cervical vertebrae, and the lateral side of the 5th finger goes into the upper end of the 1st thoracic vertebrae. The patterns of the pain pathways made detectable by stimulation of other parts of the body are more or less similar and end up in the corresponding area of the sensory cortex of the opposite cerebral hemisphere of the brain. As soon as the clamp was applied along this pain pathway, Substance P, Oncogen C-fos Ab1, Oncogen C-fos Ab2 and Dopamine increased along with the disappearance of Acetylcholine. However, as soon as the painful clamp was removed, Substance P, Oncogen C-fos Ab1, Oncogen C-fos Ab2 and Dopamine disappeared, with the reappearance of Acetylcholine. This method can be used for the evaluation of normal pain pathways and other sensory nerve pathways and provide valuable information on short-lasting dynamic bio-chemical changes in a pain pathway which cannot be easily detected in living humans.
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