Representation of spatial information in key areas of the descending pain modulatory system
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Representation of spatial information in key areas of the descending pain modulatory system. / Ritter, Christoph; Hebart, Martin N; Wolbers, Thomas; Bingel, Ulrike.
In: J NEUROSCI, Vol. 34, No. 13, 2014, p. 4634-9.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Representation of spatial information in key areas of the descending pain modulatory system
AU - Ritter, Christoph
AU - Hebart, Martin N
AU - Wolbers, Thomas
AU - Bingel, Ulrike
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Behavioral studies have demonstrated that descending pain modulation can be spatially specific, as is evident in placebo analgesia, which can be limited to the location at which pain relief is expected. This suggests that higher-order cortical structures of the descending pain modulatory system carry spatial information about the site of stimulation. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and multivariate pattern analysis in 15 healthy human volunteers to test whether spatial information of painful stimuli is represented in areas of the descending pain modulatory system. We show that the site of nociceptive stimulation (arm or leg) can be successfully decoded from local patterns of brain activity during the anticipation and receipt of painful stimulation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, and the contralateral parietal operculum. These results demonstrate that information regarding the site of nociceptive stimulation is represented in these brain regions. Attempts to predict arm and leg stimulation from the periaqueductal gray, control regions (e.g., white matter) or the control time interval in the intertrial phase did not allow for classifications above chance level. This finding represents an important conceptual advance in the understanding of endogenous pain control mechanisms by bridging the gap between previous behavioral and neuroimaging studies, suggesting a spatial specificity of endogenous pain control.
AB - Behavioral studies have demonstrated that descending pain modulation can be spatially specific, as is evident in placebo analgesia, which can be limited to the location at which pain relief is expected. This suggests that higher-order cortical structures of the descending pain modulatory system carry spatial information about the site of stimulation. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and multivariate pattern analysis in 15 healthy human volunteers to test whether spatial information of painful stimuli is represented in areas of the descending pain modulatory system. We show that the site of nociceptive stimulation (arm or leg) can be successfully decoded from local patterns of brain activity during the anticipation and receipt of painful stimulation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, and the contralateral parietal operculum. These results demonstrate that information regarding the site of nociceptive stimulation is represented in these brain regions. Attempts to predict arm and leg stimulation from the periaqueductal gray, control regions (e.g., white matter) or the control time interval in the intertrial phase did not allow for classifications above chance level. This finding represents an important conceptual advance in the understanding of endogenous pain control mechanisms by bridging the gap between previous behavioral and neuroimaging studies, suggesting a spatial specificity of endogenous pain control.
KW - Adult
KW - Arm
KW - Brain
KW - Brain Mapping
KW - Cues
KW - Female
KW - Functional Laterality
KW - Healthy Volunteers
KW - Humans
KW - Leg
KW - Male
KW - Neural Pathways
KW - Nociception
KW - Pain
KW - Pain Measurement
KW - Pain Threshold
KW - Time Factors
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4342-13.2014
DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4342-13.2014
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 24672009
VL - 34
SP - 4634
EP - 4639
JO - J NEUROSCI
JF - J NEUROSCI
SN - 0270-6474
IS - 13
ER -