If a patient reports chronic pain despite lacking peripheral tissue damage, which mechanism best explains the heightened pain perception involving spinal dorsal horn nociceptors?

💡 Explanation

Central sensitization occurs because persistent nociceptor activation induces long-term potentiation in dorsal horn neurons via NMDA receptors. This lowers the threshold for pain, therefore, even normal inputs are perceived as painful, rather than reduced sensation from opioid or GABA pathways.

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