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Neurobiology

A channel sets the gain on pain

Nerve impulses that convey pain signals to the brain are produced by sodium channels in the neuronal membrane. Studies on people who are unable to feel pain identify one specific sodium channel as essential to the process.

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Figure 1: Signalling through sodium channels.

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Waxman, S. A channel sets the gain on pain. Nature 444, 831–832 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/444831a

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