The perception of a non-noxious stimulus as pain is known as?

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The perception of a non-noxious stimulus as pain is indeed referred to as allodynia. This phenomenon occurs when normally innocuous stimuli, such as light touch or mild temperature changes, are experienced as painful. The underlying mechanisms of allodynia can involve changes in the nervous system, particularly in how sensory signals are processed, leading to an exaggerated pain response from normally harmless stimuli.

In contrast, hyperalgesia refers to an increased sensitivity and exaggerated response to painful stimuli, where a previously painful stimulus feels even more painful. Dysesthesia relates to an abnormal sensation, which may or may not be painful, often described as a discomforting or unpleasant sensation. Anesthesia dolorosa is a condition characterized by the presence of pain in an area of numbness or loss of sensation, which is different from the misperception of non-painful stimuli as painful. Allodynia specifically highlights the abnormal response to non-painful sensory input, making it the correct answer to this question.

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