Ontogenese des Schmerzes

Zusammenfassung

Am Ende dieses Buches wollen wir noch einmal zur allgemeinen Biologie des Schmerzes zuriickkommen, urn zu diskutieren, ab wann ein Mensch überhaupt Schmerz empfinden kann. Empfindet ein Embryo Schmerz? Wie ist es mit einem Saugling oder Kleinkind, das noch keine ausreichende Sprachkompetenz besitzt, um den Schmerz mitzuteilen? — Man kann diese Fragen wahrscheinlich nicht abschließend beantworten, aber es solI hier versucht werden, den physiologischen Rahmen für eine Antwort zu skizzieren.

Cognitive activity in the sensorimotor period (birth to 2 years) consists of sensory and motor actions… In this period language development is limited, although there is well-documented clinical evidence…that some children at this period can generate pain descriptors… During this time, he learns to differentiate himself from the environment and pain experiences facilitate this differentiation process…In the preoperational thought state, or early childhood period of 2 to 7 years the child… does not grasp the idea that his perception of an event may be different from that of others; he thinks his pain is as obvious to others as it is to him. McCaffery… cites as an example of this egocentrism a 2-year-old girl with a stomachache who,when asked where she hurt, disgustedly raised her skirt and said,“There. Can’t you see it?” (Ross u. Ross 1988)