Anatomy of the Brain and Brain Stem

Abstract

The sensation of pain emits both a physical and emotional response as part of the conscious awareness and experience. The limbic system, sensorimotor cortex, cortical association areas, diencephalon, cerebellum, and periaqueductal gray are all components of the generalized pain matrix. The integration of higher processes and primitive functions creates a fundamental example of the human relationship to his environment, survival and cognitive-affective processes, and learning and memory.