ABSTRACT
Calcium ions play an important role in neurotransmission, being essential for transmitter release from terminals. They also play a key role in neurons, linking receptors and enzymes, acting as intracellular signals, forming a channel-gating mechanism, and contributing to the degree of depolarization of the cell. Thus, calcium channels, the means by which calcium enters the neuron and terminal, are targets for a variety of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and drugs (1). This chapter will concentrate on the roles of calcium channels in the events that lead to pain. Most of our knowledge is based on the spinal cord.
