full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Joshua W. Pate: The mysterious science of pain

Unscramble the Blue Letters


First, there are biological factors that amplify nociceptive signals to the brain. If nerve fbreis are activated rdteleeapy, the brain may decide they need to be more sensitive to adequately protect the body from threats. More stress sensors can be added to nerve fibers until they become so snstiviee that even lihgt touches to the skin spark intense eiatecclrl signals. In other cases, nveres adapt to send signals more efnietiflcy, amplifying the message. These forms of amplification are most common in people experiencing chronic pain, which is defined as pain lasting more than 3 monhts. When the nervous system is nudged into an ongoing state of high alert, pain can outlast physical injury. This creates a vicious cycle in which the lgoenr pain persists, the more difficult it becomes to reersve.

Open Cloze


First, there are biological factors that amplify nociceptive signals to the brain. If nerve ______ are activated __________, the brain may decide they need to be more sensitive to adequately protect the body from threats. More stress sensors can be added to nerve fibers until they become so _________ that even _____ touches to the skin spark intense __________ signals. In other cases, ______ adapt to send signals more ___________, amplifying the message. These forms of amplification are most common in people experiencing chronic pain, which is defined as pain lasting more than 3 ______. When the nervous system is nudged into an ongoing state of high alert, pain can outlast physical injury. This creates a vicious cycle in which the ______ pain persists, the more difficult it becomes to _______.

Solution


  1. efficiently
  2. reverse
  3. fibers
  4. light
  5. repeatedly
  6. nerves
  7. longer
  8. electrical
  9. sensitive
  10. months

Original Text


First, there are biological factors that amplify nociceptive signals to the brain. If nerve fibers are activated repeatedly, the brain may decide they need to be more sensitive to adequately protect the body from threats. More stress sensors can be added to nerve fibers until they become so sensitive that even light touches to the skin spark intense electrical signals. In other cases, nerves adapt to send signals more efficiently, amplifying the message. These forms of amplification are most common in people experiencing chronic pain, which is defined as pain lasting more than 3 months. When the nervous system is nudged into an ongoing state of high alert, pain can outlast physical injury. This creates a vicious cycle in which the longer pain persists, the more difficult it becomes to reverse.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
electrical signals 2
nerve fibers 2
influencing nociception 2


Important Words


  1. activated
  2. adapt
  3. added
  4. adequately
  5. alert
  6. amplification
  7. amplify
  8. amplifying
  9. biological
  10. body
  11. brain
  12. cases
  13. chronic
  14. common
  15. creates
  16. cycle
  17. decide
  18. defined
  19. difficult
  20. efficiently
  21. electrical
  22. experiencing
  23. factors
  24. fibers
  25. forms
  26. high
  27. injury
  28. intense
  29. lasting
  30. light
  31. longer
  32. message
  33. months
  34. nerve
  35. nerves
  36. nervous
  37. nociceptive
  38. nudged
  39. ongoing
  40. outlast
  41. pain
  42. people
  43. persists
  44. physical
  45. protect
  46. repeatedly
  47. reverse
  48. send
  49. sensitive
  50. sensors
  51. signals
  52. skin
  53. spark
  54. state
  55. stress
  56. system
  57. threats
  58. touches
  59. vicious