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Duan Q, Fan L, Zhou Y, Luo S, Han S. The oxytocinergic system and racial ingroup bias in empathic neural activity. Neuropharmacology 2024; 261:110151. [PMID: 39244015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Studies have indicated that the human brain exhibits a more robust neural empathic response towards individuals of the same racial ingroup than those of the outgroup. However, the impact of the oxytocinergic system on the dynamic connectivity between brain regions involved in racial ingroup bias in empathy (RIBE) and its implications for real-life social interaction intention remains unclear. To address this gap, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate RIBE-modulated neural activities and the influence of the oxytocinergic system at both neural and behavioral levels. Participants homozygous for the A/A and G/G genotypes of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism underwent scanning while making judgments about painful versus non-painful stimuli in same-race versus other-race scenarios following either oxytocin (OT) or placebo treatment. The results revealed greater activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insula (AI) in response to same-race compared to other-race models in the G/G group but not in the A/A group. RIBE also modulated the connections between bilateral AI and the ACC, and the effect of OT on this modulatory effect was moderated by genotype rs53576 and interpersonal trust. Moreover, more extensive changes in AI-ACC connections were associated with higher levels of revenge intention in the low interpersonal trust group. Overall, our findings suggest a pivotal role of the oxytocinergic system in the RIBE-modulated neural activities and revenge intention in human interactions with the modulatory effect of interpersonal trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Duan
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Leyi Fan
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Yuqing Zhou
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Siyang Luo
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
| | - Shihui Han
- Department of Psychology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, China.
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Sterner DA, Stout JR, Antonio BB, Anderson AT, Fukuda DH. A proposed test to determine physical working capacity at pain intensity threshold (PWC PIT). Eur J Appl Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00421-024-05583-3. [PMID: 39162880 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to establish a new threshold parameter called the physical working capacity at pain intensity threshold (PWCPIT) using a pain intensity scale and mathematical methods similar to those used to develop the physical working capacity at oxygen consumption threshold (PWCVO2) and physical working capacity at heart rate threshold (PWCHRT). The study had two objectives: (i) to examine the relationship between PWCPIT and traditional PWC measures and (ii) to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between pain perception and capacity thresholds. METHODS Fourteen male volunteers (age 21 ± 2 years, height 176 ± 6 cm, weight 76 ± 9 kg, VO2peak 37.8 ± 7.8 ml/kg/min-1) underwent an incremental exhaustion test and four 8-min randomly ordered work bouts on different days at 70-100% peak power output (119-320 W) to establish their PWCPIT, PWCHRT and PWCVO2. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc tests and a zero-order correlation matrix were used to analyze these thresholds. RESULTS PWCPIT significantly correlated with PWCHRT (r = 0.88, P < 0.001), PWCVO2 (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), and gas exchange threshold (GET) (r = 0.7, P = 0.006). CONCLUSION The model for estimating PWCHRT and PWCVO2 can be applied to determine the PWCPIT. By examining how PWCPIT aligns with, differs from, or complements existing PWC threshold measures, researchers may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that govern endurance performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Sterner
- Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Lab, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
| | - Jeffrey R Stout
- Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Lab, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - Brandi B Antonio
- Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Lab, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - Abigail T Anderson
- Rehabilitation and Modulation of Pain (RAMP) Lab, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - David H Fukuda
- Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Lab, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
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Zu Y, Zhang Z, Hao Z, Jiang Z, Chen K, Wang Y, Zou C, Ge L, Yu Q, Zheng F, Wang C. Changes in brain structure and function during early aging in patients with chronic low back pain. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1356507. [PMID: 38912520 PMCID: PMC11190087 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1356507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore the structural and functional changes in cognition-related brain regions in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) at earlier ages, and explore the impact of the interaction between CLBP and age on the brain. Methods Seventy-six patients with CLBP were recruited and divided into "younger" age group (20-29 years, YA), "middle" age group (30-39 years, MA), and "older" age group (40-49 years, OA). All patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as well as clinical psychological and pain-related symptoms assessments. Results Structural analysis showed that patients in OA group had lower gray matter (GM) volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) bilaterally and the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) compared to YA group. The resting-state brain activity analysis showed that amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values in the bilateral postcentral gyrus and left ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were significantly different in the OA group. The functional connectivity (FC) in the right ventral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the right insula was significantly decreased in the OA group compared to the YA and MA groups. Likewise, the FC in the left caudal parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) were significantly lower in the MA and OA groups compared to the YA group. In addition, both the structural properties and the FC values of these brain regions were significantly correlated with age. Conclusion This preliminary study concludes that CLBP affects the aging process. The synergistic effects of CLBP and aging accelerate the functional and structural decline of certain areas of the brain, which not only affects pain processing, but are also may be associated with cognitive declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Zu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhou Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zengming Hao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zimu Jiang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ke Chen
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Changcheng Zou
- College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Le Ge
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuhua Yu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fuming Zheng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuhuai Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Thornton C, Baird A, Sheffield D. Athletes and Experimental Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104450. [PMID: 38154623 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The evidence that athletes respond to and report indices of experimental pain differently to non-athlete populations was analysed. Databases screened were SPORTDiscus, PubMED, PsycArticles, the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. Studies that compared experimentally induced pain responses (threshold, tolerance, intensity, unpleasantness, bothersomeness, and effect on performance) in athletes and controls were included. Meta-analyses were performed where appropriate and effects were described as standardised mean differences, pooled using random effects models. Thirty-six studies (2,492 participants) met the inclusion criteria comprising 19 pain tolerance, 17 pain threshold, 21 pain intensity, 5 pain unpleasantness, 2 performance in pain and 1 bothersomeness study. Athletes demonstrated greater pain tolerance (g = .88 [95% confidence interval [CI] .65, .13]) and reported less pain intensity (g = -.80, [95% CI -1.13, -.47]) compared to controls; they also had higher pain threshold but with smaller effects (g = .41, [95% CI .08, .75]). Differences for unpleasantness did not reach statistical significance but the effects were large (g = -1.23 [95% CI -2.29, .18]). Two studies reported that performance in pain was better in contact athletes than non-athletes, and one concluded that athletes find pain less bothersome than controls. There were considerable inconsistencies in the methods employed that were reflected in the meta-analyses' findings. Sub-group analyses of tolerance and intensity were conducted between endurance, contact, and other athlete groups, but were not significant. The data suggest that athletic participation is associated with altered pain responses, but mechanisms remain unclear and more transparent methods are recommended.This study was registered on the PROSPERO site in January 2019 (ref ID: CRD42019119611). PERSPECTIVE: This review examined differences in pain outcomes (threshold, tolerance, intensity, unpleasantness, bothersomeness) and the effect of pain on performance, in athletes versus controls. Meta-analyses revealed athletes had higher threshold and tolerance and found pain less intense than controls; there was some evidence of differences in bothersomeness and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Thornton
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Baird
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - David Sheffield
- School of Psychology, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
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Dreismickenbecker E, Fleckenstein J, Walter C, Enax-Krumova EK, Fischer MJM, Kreuzer M, Zinn S, Anders M. Nociceptive Processing of Elite Athletes Varies between Sport-Specific Loads: An EEG-Based Study Approach. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2024; 56:1046-1055. [PMID: 38227482 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000003390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION For the downstream nociceptive processing of elite athletes, recent studies indicate that athletes probably tolerate more pain as compared with a normally active population. Phenotyping the nociceptive processing of athletes in different types of endurance sports can provide insight into training-specific effects, which may help in understanding the long-term effects of specific exercise. METHODS Twenty-six elite endurance athletes from the disciplines of rowing, triathlon, and running and 26 age- and sex-matched, recreationally active control subjects who participated in the subjective pain perception and processing of standardized noxious stimuli were investigated by EEG. This included standardized heat pain thresholds (HPT) and contact heat-evoked potentials from heat stimulation, measured with EEG as well as pinprick-evoked potentials from mechanical stimulation. RESULTS After noxious stimulation, athletes showed a higher activation of the event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) patterns in the N2P2 EEG response at the Cz Electrode compared with the controls. After noxious contact heat stimulation, triathletes had a higher ERSP activation compared with the controls, whereas the rowers had a higher ERSP activation after noxious mechanical stimulation. Also, HPT in triathletes were increased despite their increased central activation after thermal stimulation. We found a correlation between increased HPT and training hours and years, although athletes did not differ within these variables. CONCLUSIONS Although we were able to identify differences between athletes of different endurance sports, the reasons and implications of these differences remain unclear. The study of sport-specific somatosensory profiles may help to understand the mechanisms of exercise-related long-term effects on pain processing and perception. Furthermore, sport-specific somatosensory effects may support the personalization of exercise interventions and identify risk factors for chronic pain in elite athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Fleckenstein
- Department of Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, Institute of Sports Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, GERMANY
| | - Carmen Walter
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, GERMANY
| | - Elena K Enax-Krumova
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil gGmbH Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GERMANY
| | - Michael J M Fischer
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AUSTRIA
| | - Matthias Kreuzer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GERMANY
| | | | - Malte Anders
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, GERMANY
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Anders M, Dreismickenbecker E, Fleckenstein J, Walter C, Enax-Krumova EK, Fischer MJM, Kreuzer M, Zinn S. EEG-based sensory testing reveals altered nociceptive processing in elite endurance athletes. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:341-354. [PMID: 36520191 PMCID: PMC9894977 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Increased exercise loads, as observed in elite athletes, seem to modulate the subjective pain perception in healthy subjects. The combination of electroencephalography (EEG) and standardized noxious stimulation can contribute to an objective assessment of the somatosensory stimulus processing. We assessed the subjective pain ratings and the electroencephalogram (EEG)-based response after standardized noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli as well as during conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in 26 elite endurance athletes and compared them to 26 recreationally active controls. Elite endurance athletes had consistently stronger somatosensory responses in the EEG to both mechanical and thermal noxious stimuli than the control group. We observed no significant group differences in the subjective pain ratings, which may have been influenced by our statistics and choice of stimuli. The CPM testing revealed that our conditioning stimulus modulated the subjective pain perception only in the control group, whereas the EEG indicated a modulatory effect of the conditioning stimulus on the spectral response only in the athletes group. We conclude that a higher activation in the cortical regions that process nociceptive information may either be an indicator for central sensitization or an altered stimulus salience in the elite endurance athletes' group. Our findings from our CPM testing were limited by our methodology. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine if exercise-induced changes in the somatosensory system might have a critical impact on the long-term health of athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Anders
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Elias Dreismickenbecker
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
- Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Childhood Cancer Center, University Medical Center Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Johannes Fleckenstein
- Department of Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, Institute of Sports Sciences, Goethe University, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carmen Walter
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Elena K Enax-Krumova
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil gGmbH Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Michael J M Fischer
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Kreuzer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Zinn
- Clinical Development and Human Pain Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
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de la Cruz F, Geisler M, Schumann A, Herbsleb M, Kikinis Z, Weiss T, Bär KJ. Central autonomic network alterations in male endurance athletes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16743. [PMID: 36202877 PMCID: PMC9537279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20064-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical exercise causes marked adjustments in brain function and the cardiovascular system. Brain regions of the so-called central autonomic network (CAN) are likely to show exercise-related alterations due to their involvement in cardiac control, yet exercise-induced CAN changes remain unclear. Here we investigate the effects of intensive exercise on brain regions involved in cardiac autonomic regulation using resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). We explored rsFC of six core regions within CAN, namely ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral anterior cingulate cortex, left/right amygdala, and left/right anterior insula, in 20 endurance athletes and 21 non-athletes. We showed that athletes had enhanced rsFC within CAN and sensorimotor areas compared to non-athletes. Likewise, we identified two networks with increased rsFC encompassing autonomic and motor-related areas using network-based statistics analysis. In addition, rsFC displayed an inverse relationship with heart rate, where the stronger rsFC in athletes correlates with their slower heart rate. Despite this significant relationship, mediation analysis revealed that heart rate is a weak mediator of the effect of intensive physical training on rsFC. Our findings prove that physical exercise enhances brain connectivity in central autonomic and sensorimotor networks and highlight the close link between brain and heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feliberto de la Cruz
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Geisler
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Andy Schumann
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Marco Herbsleb
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Zora Kikinis
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Thomas Weiss
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Lab for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, 07743, Jena, Germany.
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Altered Brain Activity and Effective Connectivity within the Nonsensory Cortex during Stimulation of a Latent Myofascial Trigger Point. Neural Plast 2022; 2022:4416672. [PMID: 35992300 PMCID: PMC9391196 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4416672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofascial trigger point (MTrP), an iconic characteristic of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), can induce cerebral cortex changes including altered cortical excitability and connectivity. The corresponding characteristically reactive cortex is still ambiguous. Seventeen participants with latent MTrPs underwent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to collect cerebral oxygenation hemoglobin (Δ[oxy-Hb]) signals. The Δ[oxy-Hb] signals of the left/right prefrontal cortex (L/R PFC), left/right motor cortex (L/R MC), and left/right occipital lobe (L/R OL) of the subjects were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the resting state, nonmyofascial trigger point (NMTrP), state and MTrP state. The data investigated the latent MTrP-induced changes in brain activity and effective connectivity (EC) within the nonsensory cortex. The parameter wavelet amplitude (WA) was used to describe cortical activation, EC to show brain network connectivity, and main coupling direction (mCD) to exhibit the dominant connectivity direction in different frequency bands. An increasing trend of WA and a decreasing trend of EC values were observed in the PFC. The interregional mCD was primarily shifted from a unidirectional to bidirectional connection, especially from PFC to MC or OL, when responding to manual stimulation during the MTrP state compared with resting state and NMTrP state in the intervals III, IV, and V. This study demonstrates that the nonsensory cortex PFC, MC, and OL can participate in the cortical reactions induced by stimulation of a latent MTrP. Additionally, the PFC shows nonnegligible higher activation and weakened regulation than other brain regions. Thus, the PFC may be responsible for the central cortical regulation of a latent MTrP. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2100048433.
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