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Although the pain from a minor sports injury usually disappears, in the case of the young woman in this video clip it didn’t.

Now, years later, she suffers from complex regional pain syndrome. This BBC video clip explains that while hundreds of genes are involved in pain, life events may be just as important in explaining individual variations in how pain is experienced. All sensory pathways, including those involved in experiencing pain, require stimulation to develop fully. In her studies comparing the brain development of newborns, Maria Fitzgerald has found that premature babies, who often undergo frequent painful procedures such as heel-prick blood tests, have stronger brain activity than full-term babies. Could it be that the repeated procedures have altered neural pathways and shaped an increased sensitivity to pain?

After you've watched the video, click the link below to answer questions about what you've learned.

1. Which factors influence how we experience pain as adults?

A. Our adult experience of pain is almost entirely a matter of genetics.

B. Both genes and key early life experiences affect our adult pain pathways.

C. Adolescent experiences are particularly important for our later experience of pain.

D. All our experiences before adulthood are equally important for the structure of our pain pathways.

2. What are Rachel’s symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome?

A. Rachel has shooting, burning pains that occur in different parts of her body.

B. Rachel experiences dull, throbbing pain in her extremities.

C. Rachel has recurring deep-body pain, which she describes as a crushing sensation.

D. Rachel has no feelings of pain at all, and must to be careful not to unknowingly injure herself.

3. If a young child needs a painful medical procedure Maria Fitzgerald would advise the parent to:

A. have the procedure as soon as possible, when the pain pathways are not fully developed, to minimize the impact on later life.

B. delay the procedure until adolescence because childhood experiences have the greatest impact on pain tolerance in adulthood.

C. have the procedure done before or after adolescence, but not during that period of life, because adolescent experiences have the greatest impact on pain tolerance in adulthood.

D. delay the procedure for as long as possible, because early overstimulation of the touch pathways can lead to increased adult pain sensitivity.

4. How did Jacob’s response to the heel prick blood test compare to the response of a premature baby?

A. Jacob’s brain had the same moderate response as the premature baby’s brain.

B. Jacob’s brain had a stronger response than the premature baby’s brain did.

C. Jacob’s brain had less of a response than the premature baby’s brain did.

D. Jacob’s brain had the same minimal response as the premature baby’s brain.

Video: The Secret World of Pain