The nurse is using the neuromatrix theory when determining a patient's pain. What should the nurse consider when assessing a patient's pain?
1. cultural and genetic factors
2. specificity
3. pattern
4. previous sensitization
Correct Answer: 1
The neuromatrix theory of pain integrates cultural and genetic factors with basic neurophysiological function. According to this theory, the brain contains a body-self neuromatrix, a widely distributed network of neurons that are affected by both genetic factors and sensory experiences. The neuromatrix integrates multiple sources of input in addition to the stimuli of pain and touch. Other sensory systems that help interpret the input, such as attention, expectation, personality, and culture, innate pain modulation systems, and components of stress-regulation systems, all contribute to the pain experience for the individual. Specificity and pattern theories describe nerve impulses of varying intensity terminating in pain centers in the forebrain. According to the pain sensitization theory, painful signals create a cascade of changes in the nervous system, which increases the responsiveness of the peripheral and central neurons. These changes increase the response to future signals and amplify pain.
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