2018 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 9-14
“Pain” is one of body defense mechanisms and crucial for the life support. Orofacial nociceptive information is received trigeminal ganglion neurons and transmitted to trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical spinal cord. The nociceptive information ascends to the central nervous system ; consequently, lead to orofacial pain perception.
Recent studies have indicated that plastic changes in the activities of trigeminal ganglion neurons, satellite glial cells in trigeminal ganglion, secondary neurons, microglia and astrocytes in trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical spinal cord following orofacial inflammation and trigeminal nerve injury are responsible for orofacial pain mechanisms. This review outlines the current knowledge on the orofacial pain signaling mechanisms and its pathophysiology following trigeminal pathological changes.
