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Medical Sci-Fi Question About Simulated Trauma

 
 
Reply Thu 25 Aug, 2011 09:07 am
Hi:

I have a medical sci-fi question.

Let’s say I’m a 27-year-old man who is completely healthy, physically-invincible, and totally-immortal.

All the A-delta fiber nociceptors supplying the peripheral somatic tactile *afferent* nerves in my body are stimulated by a magical source. They are all stimulated at the same time. The intensity to which they are stimulated [measured by their firing rate or frequency] are all in sync with each other. This intensity of stimulation starts of to small-enough extent that the effects are not noticeable. In a smooth, sine-wave-like manner this intensity gradually increases such that it reaches the maximum possible in 30 minutes. After this, the intensity decreases in the same sine-wave like manner and eventually reaches zero after another 30 minutes passes.

What symptoms would I experience when the above stimulation is at maximum intensity?

Here is my guess as to what symptoms I’d experience:

1. The release of pain-relieving endorphins -- due to neurological simulation of severe injuries. Extreme injuries tends to be painless due to this mechanism and in this case, the neuroendocrine systems in my body would be tricked into believing a serious physical attack has occurred.

2. Impaired ability access memories of this experience because due to extreme emotions resulting from it. The stimulation of aforementioned A-delta fiber nociceptors would cause extreme psychological trauma. Emotionally-tagged memories are difficult to access later on in life because the brain represses them.

3. Hallucinations, psychedelic states, dissociation, delirium, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences and other mental disturbances -- due to other chemicals released as a result of the excitation of the said A-delta fiber nociceptors.

Other facts:

The more intense a stimulus, the higher the firing rate of the neurons in a sensory receptor.

It’s important to note that sensory receptors in *efferent* nerves of any kind are NOT directly stimulated to any extent.

Tactile = Pertaining only to sense of touch [including temperature, pressure, pain, tickle, vibrations, movement, position, location etc.]. *Not* including any visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory perceptions or any sensations associated with the sense of balance.

Peripheral = pertaining only to the peripheral nervous system and not the central nervous system.

Somatic = pertaining only to the somatic nervous system and not the visceral, autonomic, or enteric nervous systems

http://courses.washington.edu/conj/sensory/pain.htm

Quotes from the above site:

"An A-delta fiber responds to either mechanical stimuli or temperature stimuli in the painful realm and produces the acute sensation of sharp, bright pain."

"By contrast, a C fiber can respond to a broad range of painful stimuli, including mechanical, thermal or metabolic factors. The pain produced is slow, burning, and long lasting."


Thanks

Green Xenon
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jermychriston
 
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Reply Sun 21 Jul, 2013 11:32 pm
@Green Xenon,
try playing Prototype - the video game
U'll get ur answers
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