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Anesthesia Dolorosa Model, Autotomy

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Encyclopedia of Pain

Synonyms

Model of Spontaneous Neuropathic Pain; Neuroma Model of Neuropathic Pain; Denervation Model of Neuropathic Pain; deafferentation model of neuropathic pain; autotomy model of neuropathic pain

Definition

“Anesthesia dolorosa” (“painful numbness”) is a seemingly paradoxical chronic pain state in which, despite the presence of ongoing pain, the painful body part is completely numb and insensate. Applied stimuli are not felt. To create this state in animals a limb is made insensate by either: 1) cutting all peripheral nerves that serve it (denervation), or 2) cutting the corresponding dorsal roots (deafferentation). Hence the animal model of anesthesia dolorosa is actually a family of models. The presence of ongoing pain is inferred from the observation of “autotomy” behavior or its consequences. Autotomy is a behavior pattern in which the animal licks, bites and chews its denervated limb (self mutilation). Quantification is usually based on the amount of tissue lost from the...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Life Sciences and Center for Research on Pain, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Marshall Devor

Authors
  1. Marshall Devor
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Devor, M. (2007). Anesthesia Dolorosa Model, Autotomy. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_212

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_212

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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