Cold temperatures activate specialized peripheral sensory neurons and thermoreceptors (such as TRPM8) that transduce thermal shifts into electrical signals, triggering pain sensations under both normal and pathological conditions.
The retrieved literature consistently supports the claim that cold temperatures activate nociceptors and sensory pathways to produce cold pain sensations. Papers like (2) establish nociceptors as sensors of extreme temperatures, while (6), (10), and (11) demonstrate that cold-sensing neurons and TRPM8 channels mediate responses to noxious cold and cold-induced pain states.