Kevin | 
05 29th, 2006| 
Scientists tend to bypass pain research such that they are setting themselves up for a big surprise when they study NMDA. They will stumble across us sooner or later, just when they least expect it. n-Methyl-D-ASPARTATE or NMDA is the receptor on the brain side of a nerve synapse which must activate in order for chronic pain to develop. Central Pain is one of these chronic pains which is driven by NMDA receptors. Aspartate, like Glutamate, is an acidic amino acid, and hence a pain exciter. Glycine, like GABA, is a pain inhibitor. Yet, mysteriously, glycine appears irrevocably linked with NMDA–this bears investigation. No money, no problem, glycine/NMDA are part of heart attack injury and stroke brain injury. The heart and brain are considered research money worthy even if pain is not.
Whether or not the public knows it, they buy nerve injury pain every week on Tuesday night when they watch House.
This article stems from the comment, “There is a hole in my memory and in that hole is my identity.” Amnesia is defined roughly as forgetting what one would normally remember. It is comparative to the ordinary individual. In a sense, since it is a matter of degree, and may be selective, it is not easy to define amnesia. It is however, always important to remember who you are, even as the the feeling of being “lost in pain” is rather common.
Never certain if it has relevance to central pain, we nevertheless tend to write on analgesic plants being reported in peer reviewed journals. Pharmacologically active plants, and plants in general, tend to grow in much greater number in Equatorial countries, so some of the journals may not be familiar. That is why we include such information here, with many thanks to PubMed for the lead it gives us.
We do not weep at horror movies, we are shocked. Should others somehow understand Central Pain’s reality, usually only through scientific knowledge, it is too much to react to in a normal fashion. Ordinary pain is bad enough. John Locke said that even revelation cannot speak to man except in bits and pieces of information he already possesses. A normal person does not possess the bits and pieces necessary to apprehend severe central pain. They are unconcerned about the monster, neither in others nor potentially in themselves. Should they suddenly become aware of its bizarre magnitude, it will cause horror and withdrawal, not tears.
Elizabeth Mitchell has had severe central pain for decades. She expresses her isolation and the unreal quality of living with it. Hers is the poetry of the pain holocaust.
Work in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome highlights similar difficulties in clinical evaluation of central pain. The terms to describe Central Pain are themselves so vague as to require explanations about what they mean as applied to CP. CRPS can help.
We have always said neuropathic pain was different, but even we were not quite prepared for this article, provided it can be reproduced.
The survey continues to enlighten us on features of central pain. Thanks to all who have participated. Here are some of the discoveries which are directly attributable to participants in the survey. Many confirm what other authors have written, but others are definitely new information.