Contralateral Metabolic Activation Related to Plastic Changes in the Spinal Cord after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Rats

Figure 5

Diagram showing the neuropathic behavior, mirror image pain behavior, and crossed-withdrawal reflex. The crossed-withdrawal reflex is the increased responsiveness of the injured side to stimulation on the uninjured side. In terms of input-output information processing, conventional neuropathic pain and mirror image pain behaviors are represented unilaterally. However, the crossed-withdrawal reflex is represented contralaterally. In other words, input through the dorsal root traverses across the midline of the spinal cord toward the contralateral ventral horn.