Table 1.

Summary of terms and definitions relevant to the discussion of neuropathic pain in veterinary patients.

Term	Definition
Interoceptive stimulus	A sensory stimulus that originates from within the body
Exteroceptive stimulus	A sensory stimulus that originates from outside of the body
Pain	An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience provoked by a damaging or potentially damaging stimulus
Nociceptive pain	Pain caused by a noxious stimulus that is processed by a normally functioning somatosensory system
Neuropathic pain	Pain caused by a disease or lesion causing dysfunction of the somatosensory system
Mixed pain	Condition of coexisting nociceptive and neuropathic pain
Allodynia	Pain provoked by a stimulus that does not normally cause pain
Hyperesthesia	Increased sensitivity to stimulation
Paresthesia	An abnormal sensation (burning, tingling, “skin crawling”) that can be either spontaneous or provoked
Hyperpathia	An abnormally painful reaction to a stimulus
Hypoalgesia	Diminished pain in response to a stimulus that would normally be painful
Analgesia	Absence of pain in response to a stimulus that would normally be painful
Central sensitization	Response of nociceptive neurons within the central nervous system to normally non-painful or sub-threshold sensory stimulus