ABSTRACT
The differences between acute and chronic pain include peripheral responses of the organism and central nervous system modifications induced by the chronic afferent volley of nociceptor activity. Neuropathic pain is a complication of injury to the peripheral or central nervous system. Although nociceptive and neuropathic pains depend on separate peripheral mechanisms, they are both significantly influenced by changes in the central nervous system function. Neuropathic pain defines the type of pain due to a disease or a lesion associated with an alteration of the function of the somatosensitive system at the level of the peripheral and/or central nervous system, in the absence of a stimulation of the nociceptors by a tissue trauma. Peripheral neuropathic pain occurs when the dysfunction affects the first neuron, while central pain is originated from dysfunctions in the central nervous system.
