Pain-conducting peripheral nerve fiber

Pain-conducting peripheral nerve fibers refer to the sensory nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system responsible for transmitting noxious (painful) stimuli from the body to the central nervous system[1][2][3][4]. The two main types are **Aδ fibers** (thin, myelinated, fast-conducting, responsible for sharp, well-localized "first pain") and **C fibers** (thin, unmyelinated, slow-conducting, responsible for dull, burning, poorly localized "second pain")[1][2][3][4]. These fibers have free nerve endings in peripheral tissues and their cell bodies are located in the dorsal root ganglia. They use neuropeptides such as substance P and CGRP to signal in the spinal cord dorsal horn, and play a central role in acute and chronic pain conditions. Clarification: - This name refers to a **class of fibers, not a molecular/pharmacological target**, and does not fulfill the criteria for a canonical molecular target such as a receptor, ion channel, transporter, or enzyme. For drug development or mechanistic study, one would typically refer to specific molecular targets *expressed by* these fibers (such as voltage-gated sodium channels, TRPV1 receptors, or opioid receptors) rather than the fibers as an undifferentiated group[1][2][4].

Other names

Aδ fiberC fibernociceptive fiberperipheral pain fiber

Sodium channel blockade (local anesthetics) Sensory neuron desensitization (capsaicin) Neurotransmitter release modulation (opioids, gabapentinoids)