Australian Dental Council (ADC) Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The Gate Control Pain Theory is a well-established concept in understanding how the body perceives pain. The statement that correctly defines this theory is that pain depends on the relative amount of traffic in two different sensory pathways. This theory, proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965, suggests that there are 'gates' in the spinal cord that can open or close to modulate the perception of pain.

When sensory nerve fibers are activated, they send signals to the spinal cord and brain. However, the pain experience is influenced by the relative activity of both pain pathways and non-pain pathways, such as those that carry touch sensations. Therefore, if touch signals are more dominant (for instance, when rubbing a bumped elbow), they can 'close the gate' on the pain signals, reducing the perception of pain. This nuanced understanding of pain recognition emphasizes how complex and subjective the experience of pain can be, relying on this interplay between different sensory inputs rather than being a simple, linear process.

The other statements do not accurately capture the essence of the Gate Control Theory. The idea that the theory is based solely on chemical transmission of pain signals overlooks the importance of the sensory pathways involved. Similarly, while emotional responses can influence how pain is perceived, the