AEMCA Practice Exam

Under which condition are gate control cells more likely to filter out pain responses?

1. During severe physical activity

2. During a state of relaxation

3. When weak pain impulses are present

4. When the body is in a state of shock

The correct answer is: When weak pain impulses are present

Gate control theory of pain suggests that there are gate control cells in the spinal cord that can either allow or inhibit the transmission of pain signals to the brain. These cells act as a filter for pain responses based on various physical and psychological conditions. When weak pain impulses are present, the gate control cells are more likely to filter out these pain responses. The rationale behind this lies in the prioritization of sensory information; if the pain signals are weak, the neural mechanisms aim to minimize the perception of pain, possibly allowing the individual to focus on other sensory inputs or activities instead. This filtering mechanism is influenced by the strength of the pain signal in relation to competing stimuli, where weaker signals can be overshadowed or blocked by stronger non-pain sensory signals. In contrast, during severe physical activity or a state of shock, the body is often under stress and may respond more acutely to pain, thus making filtering less effective or even allowing pain signals to be perceived more readily. A state of relaxation might not lead to similar filtering effects either, as the context does not provide a mechanism that necessarily overrides the perception of pain. Therefore, the presence of weak pain impulses is a key condition under which gate control cells are more effective in filtering out pain responses.