Perception

The perception of pain is complex and we experience it in relation to the context in which it occurs, our emotions and memories. This explains the observation that the same nociceptive inputs can be interpreted as different levels of pain by different people, in different circumstances or at different times and why a wide range of psychological and social factors such as gender, culture, age, emotional state and previous pain experience can influence our sensation of pain. A large number of areas within the brain are involved in this perceptive and interpretative process. This diagram shows some of the key areas.