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Jiang J, Hou X, Gu L, Liu X, Lv H, Xiong J, Kuang H, Jiang X, Hong S. Disrupted Balance of Short- and Long-Range Functional Connectivity Density in Patients with Herpes Zoster or Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Resting-State fMRI Study. J Pain Res 2024; 17:2753-2765. [PMID: 39206100 PMCID: PMC11352612 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s472349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to explore the abnormal changes in short- and long-range functional connectivity density (FCD) in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Patients and Methods Twenty HZ patients, 22 PHN patients, and 19 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. We used FCD mapping, a data-driven graph theory method, to investigate local and global functional connectivity patterns. Both short- and long-range FCD were calculated and compared among the PHN, HZ, and HC groups. Then, the abnormal regions were used to calculate seed-based functional connectivity. Finally, correlation analyses were performed between the altered FCD values and clinical datas. Results Compared with HCs, HZ patients showed significantly increased long-range FCD of the bilateral cerebellum, thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus and lingual gyrus. HZ patients also displayed significantly decreased short-range FCD of the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus, median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, and left precuneus. Compared with HCs, PHN patients displayed significantly decreased long-range FCD of the bilateral superior frontal gyrus and decreased short-range FCD in the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus, median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, and precuneus. However, there was no significant difference in either long-range or short-range FCD between the PHN and HZ patients. Long-range FCD deficit areas and the right insula showed altered functional connectivity in PHN patients. Furthermore, pain duration in patients with PHN was correlated with abnormal long-range FCD. Conclusion Herpes zoster pain widely affects intra- and inter-regional functional connectivity, leading to disrupted short-range FCD and increased long-range FCD during different stages of the disease. Long-term chronic pain in PHN patients may impair the pain emotion regulation pathway. These findings could improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of HZ and PHN and offer neuroimaging markers for HZ and PHN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Jiangxi Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Hou
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lili Gu
- Department of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xian Liu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huiting Lv
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaxin Xiong
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongmei Kuang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Jiangxi Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shunda Hong
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Jiangxi Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
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Chouchou F, Fauchon C, Perchet C, Garcia-Larrea L. An approach to the detection of pain from autonomic and cortical correlates. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 166:152-165. [PMID: 39178550 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.07.018] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the value of combining brain and autonomic measures to discriminate the subjective perception of pain from other sensory-cognitive activations. METHODS 20 healthy individuals received 2 types of tonic painful stimulation delivered to the hand: electrical stimuli and immersion in 10 Celsius degree (°C) water, which were contrasted with non-painful immersion in 15 °C water, and stressful cognitive testing. High-density electroencephalography (EEG) and autonomic measures (pupillary, electrodermal and cardiovascular) were continuously recorded, and the accuracy of pain detection based on combinations of electrophysiological features was assessed using machine learning procedures. RESULTS Painful stimuli induced a significant decrease in contralateral EEG alpha power. Cardiac, electrodermal and pupillary reactivities occurred in both painful and stressful conditions. Classification models, trained on leave-one-out cross-validation folds, showed low accuracy (61-73%) of cortical and autonomic features taken independently, while their combination significantly improved accuracy to 93% in individual reports. CONCLUSIONS Changes in cortical oscillations reflecting somatosensory salience and autonomic changes reflecting arousal can be triggered by many activating signals other than pain; conversely, the simultaneous occurrence of somatosensory activation plus strong autonomic arousal has great probability of reflecting pain uniquely. SIGNIFICANCE Combining changes in cortical and autonomic reactivities appears critical to derive accurate indexes of acute pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Chouchou
- NeuroPain Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, CRNL - Inserm U 1028/CNRS UMR 5292, University of Saint-Etienne, University of Lyon, France; IRISSE Laboratory (EA4075), UFR SHE, University of La Réunion, Le Tampon, France.
| | - C Fauchon
- NeuroPain Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, CRNL - Inserm U 1028/CNRS UMR 5292, University of Saint-Etienne, University of Lyon, France; Neuro-Dol, Inserm 1107, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, University of Clermont-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - C Perchet
- NeuroPain Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, CRNL - Inserm U 1028/CNRS UMR 5292, University of Saint-Etienne, University of Lyon, France
| | - L Garcia-Larrea
- NeuroPain Lab, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, CRNL - Inserm U 1028/CNRS UMR 5292, University of Saint-Etienne, University of Lyon, France
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Liu X, Wei S, Zhao X, Bi Y, Hu L. Establishing the relationship between subjective perception and neural responses: Insights from correlation analysis and representational similarity analysis. Neuroimage 2024; 295:120650. [PMID: 38768740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring the relationship between sensory perception and brain responses holds important theoretical and clinical implications. However, commonly used methodologies like correlation analysis performed either intra- or inter- individually often yield inconsistent results across studies, limiting their generalizability. Representational similarity analysis (RSA), a method that assesses the perception-response relationship by calculating the correlation between behavioral and neural patterns, may offer a fresh perspective to reveal novel findings. Here, we delivered a series of graded sensory stimuli of four modalities (i.e., nociceptive somatosensory, non-nociceptive somatosensory, visual, and auditory) to/near the left or right hand of 107 healthy subjects and collected their single-trial perceptual ratings and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses. We examined the relationship between sensory perception and brain responses using within- and between-subject correlation analysis and RSA, and assessed their stability across different numbers of subjects and trials. We found that within-subject and between-subject correlations yielded distinct results: within-subject correlation revealed strong and reliable correlations between perceptual ratings and most brain responses, while between-subject correlation showed weak correlations that were vulnerable to the change of subject number. In addition to verifying the correlation results, RSA revealed some novel findings, i.e., correlations between behavioral and neural patterns were observed in some additional neural responses, such as "γ-ERS" in the visual modality. RSA results were sensitive to the trial number, but not to the subject number, suggesting that consistent results could be obtained for studies with relatively small sample sizes. In conclusion, our study provides a novel perspective on establishing the relationship between behavior and brain activity, emphasizing that RSA holds promise as a method for exploring this pattern relationship in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China; Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China
| | - Shiyu Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangyue Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanzhi Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Li Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Morgalla MH, Zhang Y, Chander BS. Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Relieves Chronic Neuropathic Pain Along With a Decrease in Cortical γ Power. Neuromodulation 2024; 27:923-929. [PMID: 38551546 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stimulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is an ideal neuromodulative intervention, providing pain relief in localized chronic pain conditions because γ-band oscillations reflect the intensity of ongoing chronic pain in patients affected. OBJECTIVE We aimed to observe the role of cortical γ-band power associated with the relief of chronic neuropathic pain through DRG stimulation (DRGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined nine patients (two women, mean age 56.8 years; range, 36-77 years) diagnosed with chronic neuropathic pain who underwent DRGS therapy. We used the numeric rating scale (NRS) on the painful limb and simultaneously recorded the electroencephalography to assess the broadband γ power. Assessments were conducted on the first day and on the seventh day after implantation of the DRGS system and then compared and correlated with the results of the NRS. RESULTS The NRS scores showed a significant decrease from the first day to the seventh day (p = 0.007). The resting-state γ power revealed a significant decrease (p = 0.021) between 30 and 45 Hz, recorded through the central electrode contralateral to the painful limb from the first day (mean [M] = 0.46, SD = 0.25) to the seventh day (M = 0.31, SD = 0.12) after DRGS. There was no significant change in the resting-state γ-band power recorded through the central electrode ipsilateral to the painful limb. However, we found a positive correlation in the γ-band power (rs = 0.628, p = 0.005) with the NRS rating. CONCLUSIONS A lateralized decrease in broadband γ power may be considered further evidence supporting a reduction in the hyperexcitability of the nociceptive system in response to DRGS therapy. In the future, γ-band power could serve as a biomarker for assessing the efficacy of DRGS during the seven-day test phase preceding the implantation of the DRGS system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bankim Subhash Chander
- Department of Neurosurgery, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Innovative Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Research, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; BrainPortal Technologies GmbH, Mannheim, Germany.
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Kummer K, Sheets PL. Targeting Prefrontal Cortex Dysfunction in Pain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 389:268-276. [PMID: 38702195 PMCID: PMC11125798 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.002046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has justifiably become a significant focus of chronic pain research. Collectively, decades of rodent and human research have provided strong rationale for studying the dysfunction of the PFC as a contributing factor in the development and persistence of chronic pain and as a key supraspinal mechanism for pain-induced comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Chronic pain alters the structure, chemistry, and connectivity of PFC in both humans and rodents. In this review, we broadly summarize the complexities of reported changes within both rodent and human PFC caused by pain and offer insight into potential pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches for targeting PFC to treat chronic pain and pain-associated comorbidities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Chronic pain is a significant unresolved medical problem causing detrimental changes to physiological, psychological, and behavioral aspects of life. Drawbacks of currently approved pain therapeutics include incomplete efficacy and potential for abuse producing a critical need for novel approaches to treat pain and comorbid disorders. This review provides insight into how manipulation of prefrontal cortex circuits could address this unmet need of more efficacious and safer pain therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Kummer
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria (K.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (P.L.S.), Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program (P.L.S.), and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute (P.L.S.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Patrick L Sheets
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria (K.K.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (P.L.S.), Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program (P.L.S.), and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute (P.L.S.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
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De Martino E, Casali A, Casarotto S, Hassan G, Couto BA, Rosanova M, Graven‐Nielsen T, de Andrade DC. Evoked oscillatory cortical activity during acute pain: Probing brain in pain by transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalogram. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26679. [PMID: 38647038 PMCID: PMC11034005 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal dynamics of local cortical rhythms during acute pain remain largely unknown. The current study used a novel approach based on transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalogram (TMS-EEG) to investigate evoked-oscillatory cortical activity during acute pain. Motor (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were probed by TMS, respectively, to record oscillatory power (event-related spectral perturbation and relative spectral power) and phase synchronization (inter-trial coherence) by 63 EEG channels during experimentally induced acute heat pain in 24 healthy participants. TMS-EEG was recorded before, during, and after noxious heat (acute pain condition) and non-noxious warm (Control condition), delivered in a randomized sequence. The main frequency bands (α, β1, and β2) of TMS-evoked potentials after M1 and DLPFC stimulation were recorded close to the TMS coil and remotely. Cold and heat pain thresholds were measured before TMS-EEG. Over M1, acute pain decreased α-band oscillatory power locally and α-band phase synchronization remotely in parietal-occipital clusters compared with non-noxious warm (all p < .05). The remote (parietal-occipital) decrease in α-band phase synchronization during acute pain correlated with the cold (p = .001) and heat pain thresholds (p = .023) and to local (M1) α-band oscillatory power decrease (p = .024). Over DLPFC, acute pain only decreased β1-band power locally compared with non-noxious warm (p = .015). Thus, evoked-oscillatory cortical activity to M1 stimulation is reduced by acute pain in central and parietal-occipital regions and correlated with pain sensitivity, in contrast to DLPFC, which had only local effects. This finding expands the significance of α and β band oscillations and may have relevance for pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico De Martino
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Adenauer Casali
- Institute of Science and TechnologyFederal University of São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Silvia Casarotto
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo GnocchiMilanItaly
| | - Gabriel Hassan
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Bruno Andry Couto
- Institute of Science and TechnologyFederal University of São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Mario Rosanova
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Thomas Graven‐Nielsen
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Daniel Ciampi de Andrade
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of MedicineAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
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Li X, Meng F, Huang W, Cui Y, Meng F, Wu S, Xu H. The Alterations in the Brain Corresponding to Low Back Pain: Recent Insights and Advances. Neural Plast 2024; 2024:5599046. [PMID: 38529366 PMCID: PMC10963108 DOI: 10.1155/2024/5599046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of global disabilities. Numerous molecular, cellular, and anatomical factors are implicated in LBP. Current issues regarding neurologic alterations in LBP have focused on the reorganization of peripheral nerve and spinal cord, but neural mechanisms of exactly what LBP impacts on the brain required further researches. Based on existing clinical studies that chronic pain problems were accompanying alterations in brain structures and functions, researchers proposed logical conjectures that similar alterations occur in LBP patients as well. With recent extensive studies carried out using noninvasive neuroimaging technique, increasing number of abnormalities and alterations has been identified. Here, we reviewed brain alterations including white matters, grey matters, and neural circuits between brain areas, which are involved in chronic LBP. Moreover, brain structural and functional connectivity abnormalities are correlated to the happening and transition of LBP. The negative emotions related to back pain indicate possible alterations in emotional brain regions. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarize current findings on the alterations corresponding to LBP in the brain. It will not only further our understanding of etiology of LBP and understanding of negative emotions accompanying with back pain but also provide ideas and basis for new accesses to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation afterward based on integral medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyang Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fancheng Meng
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenye Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yue Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fanbo Meng
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Fitzgerald M. The Bayliss-Starling Prize Lecture: The developmental physiology of spinal cord and cortical nociceptive circuits. J Physiol 2024; 602:1003-1016. [PMID: 38426221 DOI: 10.1113/jp283994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
When do we first experience pain? To address this question, we need to know how the developing nervous system processes potential or real tissue-damaging stimuli in early life. In the newborn, nociception preserves life through reflex avoidance of tissue damage and engagement of parental help. Importantly, nociception also forms the starting point for experiencing and learning about pain and for setting the level of adult pain sensitivity. This review, which arose from the Bayliss-Starling Prize Lecture, focuses on the basic developmental neurophysiology of early nociceptive circuits in the spinal cord, brainstem and cortex that form the building blocks of our first pain experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fitzgerald
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
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9
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Rivera-Villaseñor A, Higinio-Rodríguez F, López-Hidalgo M. Astrocytes in Pain Perception: A Systems Neuroscience Approach. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 39:193-212. [PMID: 39190076 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-64839-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Astrocytes play an active role in the function of the brain integrating neuronal activity and regulating back neuronal dynamic. They have recently emerged as active contributors of brain's emergent properties such as perceptions. Here, we analyzed the role of astrocytes in pain perception from the lens of systems neuroscience, and we do this by analyzing how astrocytes encode nociceptive information within brain processing areas and how they are key regulators of the internal state that determines pain perception. Specifically, we discuss the dynamic interactions between astrocytes and neuromodulators, such as noradrenaline, highlighting their role in shaping the level of activation of the neuronal ensemble, thereby influencing the experience of pain. Also, we will discuss the possible implications of an "Astro-NeuroMatrix" in the integration of pain across sensory, affective, and cognitive dimensions of pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Rivera-Villaseñor
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
| | - Frida Higinio-Rodríguez
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
| | - Mónica López-Hidalgo
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico.
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Mirmoosavi M, Aminitabar A, Mirfathollahi A, Shalchyan V. Exploring altered oscillatory activity in the anterior cingulate cortex after nerve injury: Insights into mechanisms of neuropathic allodynia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106381. [PMID: 38114049 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
While neural oscillations play a critical role in sensory perception, it remains unclear how these rhythms function under conditions of neuropathic allodynia. Recent studies demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is associated with the affective-aversive component of pain, and plasticity changes in this region are closely linked to abnormal allodynic sensations. Here, to study the mechanisms of allodynia, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the bilateral ACC of awake-behaving rats and compared the spectral power and center frequency of brain oscillations between healthy and CCI (chronic constriction injury) induced neuropathic pain conditions. Our results indicated that activation of the ACC occurs bilaterally in the presence of neuropathic pain, similar to the healthy condition. Furthermore, CCI affects both spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity of ACC neurons. Specifically, we observed an increase in spontaneous beta activity after nerve injury compared to the healthy condition. By stimulating operated or unoperated paws, we found more intense event-related desynchronization (ERD) responses in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands and faster alpha center frequency after CCI compared to before CCI. Although the behavioral manifestation of allodynia was more pronounced in the operated paw than the unoperated paw following CCI, there was no significant difference in the center frequency and ERD responses observed in the ACC between stimulation of the operated and unoperated limbs. Our findings offer evidence supporting the notion that aberrancies in ACC oscillations may contribute to the maintenance and development of neuropathic allodynia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnoosh Mirmoosavi
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran
| | - Amir Aminitabar
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran
| | - Alavie Mirfathollahi
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran; Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran 16583-44575, Iran
| | - Vahid Shalchyan
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran.
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Leng J, Zhu J, Yan Y, Yu X, Liu M, Lou Y, Liu Y, Gao L, Sun Y, He T, Yang Q, Feng C, Wang D, Zhang Y, Xu Q, Xu F. Multilevel Laser-Induced Pain Measurement with Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network - Gradient Penalty Model. Int J Neural Syst 2024; 34:2350067. [PMID: 38149912 DOI: 10.1142/s0129065723500673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Pain is an experience of unpleasant sensations and emotions associated with actual or potential tissue damage. In the global context, billions of people are affected by pain disorders. There are particular challenges in the measurement and assessment of pain, and the commonly used pain measuring tools include traditional subjective scoring methods and biomarker-based measures. The main tools for biomarker-based analysis are electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography and functional magnetic resonance. The EEG-based quantitative pain measurements are of immense value in clinical pain management and can provide objective assessments of pain intensity. The assessment of pain is now primarily limited to the identification of the presence or absence of pain, with less research on multilevel pain. High power laser stimulation pain experimental paradigm and five pain level classification methods based on EEG data augmentation are presented. First, the EEG features are extracted using modified S-transform, and the time-frequency information of the features is retained. Based on the pain recognition effect, the 20-40[Formula: see text]Hz frequency band features are optimized. Afterwards the Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty is used for feature data augmentation. It can be inferred from the good classification performance of features in the parietal region of the brain that the sensory function of the parietal lobe region is effectively activated during the occurrence of pain. By comparing the latest data augmentation methods and classification algorithms, the proposed method has significant advantages for the five-level pain dataset. This research provides new ways of thinking and research methods related to pain recognition, which is essential for the study of neural mechanisms and regulatory mechanisms of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiancai Leng
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Jianqun Zhu
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Yihao Yan
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Xin Yu
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Ming Liu
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Yitai Lou
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Yanbing Liu
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Licai Gao
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Sun
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Tianzheng He
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Qingbo Yang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Chao Feng
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
| | - Dezheng Wang
- Rehabilitation Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, P. R. China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Rehabilitation Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, P. R. China
| | - Qing Xu
- Shandong Institute of Scientific and Technical Information, Jinan 250101, P. R. China
| | - Fangzhou Xu
- International School for Optoelectronic Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, P. R. China
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12
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Chen L, Zhang Z, Han R, Li K, Guo G, Huang D, Huang Y, Zhou H. Correlation between spinal cord stimulation analgesia and cortical dynamics in pain management. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2024; 11:57-66. [PMID: 37903713 PMCID: PMC10791032 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective method to treat neuropathic pain. It is necessary to identify the responders of SCS analgesia before implantation. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the cortical dynamics and SCS analgesia responders in pain management. METHODS Resting-state EEG recording was performed in patients who underwent short-term implantation of spinal cord stimulation for pain therapy. We then did spectral analysis to capture the pattern of cortical oscillation between neuromodulation therapy analgesia responders and nonresponders. RESULTS About 58.3% (14 out of 24) of participants were considered as analgesia responders, with average visual analogue scores reduction of 4.8 ± 1.0 after surgery, and 2.1 ± 0.7 for the nonresponder subgroup, respectively. The alpha oscillation was significantly enhanced in responder cohort compared with nonresponders. We also observed an increasing spectral power of gamma band in responders. Furthermore, the attenuation of pain severity was significantly correlated with the global alpha oscillation activity (r = 0.60, P = 0.002). Likely, positive and significant correlation was found between the pain relief and gamma activity (r = 0.58, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Distinct pattern of neural oscillation is associated with the analgesic effect of spinal cord stimulation in pain management, enhancement of cortical alpha and gamma oscillation may be a predictor of analgesia responders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South ChinaChangsha410028China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Rui Han
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Kuankuan Li
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Gangwen Guo
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Dong Huang
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Brain HomeostasisCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Yuzhao Huang
- Department of OrthopaedicsThe Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410013China
| | - Haocheng Zhou
- Department of PainThe Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Brain HomeostasisCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
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13
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Bemani S, Sarrafzadeh J, Dehkordi SN, Talebian S, Salehi R, Zarei J. Effect of multidimensional physiotherapy on non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Adv Rheumatol 2023; 63:57. [PMID: 38049905 DOI: 10.1186/s42358-023-00329-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many people with non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) do not recover with current conventional management. Systematic reviews show multidimensional treatment improves pain better than usual active interventions. It is unclear whether multidimensional physiotherapy improves pain better than usual physiotherapy. This study determines the effectiveness of this treatment to reduce pain and disability and improve quality of life, pain cognitions, and electroencephalographic pattern in individuals with NSCLBP. METHODS 70 eligible participants aged 18 to 50 years with NSCLBP were randomized into either the experimental group (multidimensional physiotherapy) or the active control group (usual physiotherapy). Pain intensity was measured as the primary outcome. Disability, quality of life, pain Catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, fear Avoidance Beliefs, active lumbar range of motion, and brain function were measured as secondary outcomes. The outcomes were measured at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 10, and 22 weeks. Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat approaches. RESULTS There were 17 men and 18 women in the experimental group (mean [SD] age, 34.57 [6.98] years) and 18 men and 17 women in the active control group (mean [SD] age, 35.94 [7.51] years). Multidimensional physiotherapy was not more effective than usual physiotherapy at reducing pain intensity at the end of treatment. At the 10 weeks and 22 weeks follow-up, there were statistically significant differences between multidimensional physiotherapy and usual physiotherapy (mean difference at 10 weeks, -1.54; 95% CI, -2.59 to -0.49 and mean difference at 22 weeks, -2.20; 95% CI, - 3.25 to - 1.15). The standardized mean difference and their 95% confidence intervals (Cohen's d) revealed a large effect of pain at 22 weeks: (Cohen's d, -0.89; 95% CI (-1.38 to-0.39)). There were no statistically significant differences in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In this randomized controlled trial, multidimensional physiotherapy resulted in statistically and clinically significant improvements in pain compared to usual physiotherapy in individuals with NSCLBP at 10 and 22 weeks. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04270422; IRCT IRCT20140810018754N11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Bemani
- Department of Physiotherapy, Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Madadkaran St, Shahnazari St, Madar Sq. Mirdamad Blvd., Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Sarrafzadeh
- Department of Physiotherapy, Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Madadkaran St, Shahnazari St, Madar Sq. Mirdamad Blvd., Tehran, Iran.
| | - Shohreh Noorizadeh Dehkordi
- Department of Physiotherapy, Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Madadkaran St, Shahnazari St, Madar Sq. Mirdamad Blvd., Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Talebian
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Salehi
- Department of Physiotherapy, Iranian Center of Excellence in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Madadkaran St, Shahnazari St, Madar Sq. Mirdamad Blvd., Tehran, Iran
- Department of Rehabilitation Management, Rehabilitation Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Geriatric Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamileh Zarei
- Department of Health Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Chowdhury NS, Chiang AKI, Millard SK, Skippen P, Chang WJ, Seminowicz DA, Schabrun SM. Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography reveals alterations in cortical excitability during pain. eLife 2023; 12:RP88567. [PMID: 37966464 PMCID: PMC10651174 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used to examine inhibitory and facilitatory circuits during experimental pain and in chronic pain populations. However, current applications of TMS to pain have been restricted to measurements of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from peripheral muscles. Here, TMS was combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to determine whether experimental pain could induce alterations in cortical inhibitory/facilitatory activity observed in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs). In Experiment 1 (n=29), multiple sustained thermal stimuli were administered to the forearm, with the first, second, and third block of thermal stimuli consisting of warm but non-painful (pre-pain block), painful (pain block) and warm but non-painful (post-pain block) temperatures, respectively. During each stimulus, TMS pulses were delivered while EEG (64 channels) was simultaneously recorded. Verbal pain ratings were collected between TMS pulses. Relative to pre-pain warm stimuli, painful stimuli led to an increase in the amplitude of the frontocentral negative peak ~45 ms post-TMS (N45), with a larger increase associated with higher pain ratings. Experiments 2 and 3 (n=10 in each) showed that the increase in the N45 in response to pain was not due to changes in sensory potentials associated with TMS, or a result of stronger reafferent muscle feedback during pain. This is the first study to use combined TMS-EEG to examine alterations in cortical excitability in response to pain. These results suggest that the N45 TEP peak, which indexes GABAergic neurotransmission, is implicated in pain perception and is a potential marker of individual differences in pain sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahian Shahmat Chowdhury
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Alan KI Chiang
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Samantha K Millard
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Patrick Skippen
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
| | - Wei-Ju Chang
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of NewcastleCallaghanAustralia
| | - David A Seminowicz
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
| | - Siobhan M Schabrun
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyAustralia
- The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity, University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
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15
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Leu C, Courtin A, Cussac C, Liberati G. The role of ongoing oscillation in pain perception: Absence of modulation by a concomitant arithmetic task. Cortex 2023; 168:114-129. [PMID: 37708762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.08.005] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Sustained nociceptive stimuli have been shown to modulate the amplitude of ongoing neural oscillations in the theta, alpha and beta frequency bands at the frequency of stimulation, suggesting a relationship between these ongoing oscillations and pain perception. Yet, whether these ongoing oscillations are actually related to the pain experience remains unclear. If it were the case, then cognitive processes that are known to affect pain intensity should also affect these ongoing oscillations. To this end, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate whether distraction - an attentional state known to affect pain perception - also modulates the amplitude of these neural oscillations. More specifically, we hypothesized that performing an unrelated arithmetic task during sustained nociceptive stimulation would lead to a decrease in the modulations of ongoing oscillations exerted by the stimulation. To assess the selectivity of this modulation for nociception, we compared the modulations of ongoing oscillations exerted by sustained periodic thermonociceptive and non-nociceptive vibrotactile stimulation (.2 Hz, 75 sec), while participants were either asked to solve an unrelated arithmetic task (distraction task) or received no specific instruction (baseline). The intensity of perception was significantly reduced by the arithmetic task in both the thermonociceptive and the vibrotactile modality, and the sustained periodic stimulation elicited a periodic response at the frequency of stimulation in both modalities. However, the distraction task did not show a differential effect for the two stimulation modalities in any of the frequency bands. The fact that, unlike pain perception, these oscillations did not appear to be affected by the task suggests that they are dissociable from pain perception. Whether a different task (leading to a stronger degree of distraction) could lead to different results is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Leu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Arthur Courtin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Céline Cussac
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giulia Liberati
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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16
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Hsiao FJ, Chen WT, Wu YT, Pan LLH, Wang YF, Chen SP, Lai KL, Coppola G, Wang SJ. Characteristic oscillatory brain networks for predicting patients with chronic migraine. J Headache Pain 2023; 24:139. [PMID: 37848845 PMCID: PMC10583316 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-023-01677-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
To determine specific resting-state network patterns underlying alterations in chronic migraine, we employed oscillatory connectivity and machine learning techniques to distinguish patients with chronic migraine from healthy controls and patients with other pain disorders. This cross-sectional study included 350 participants (70 healthy controls, 100 patients with chronic migraine, 40 patients with chronic migraine with comorbid fibromyalgia, 35 patients with fibromyalgia, 30 patients with chronic tension-type headache, and 75 patients with episodic migraine). We collected resting-state magnetoencephalographic data for analysis. Source-based oscillatory connectivity within each network, including the pain-related network, default mode network, sensorimotor network, visual network, and insula to default mode network, was examined to determine intrinsic connectivity across a frequency range of 1-40 Hz. Features were extracted to establish and validate classification models constructed using machine learning algorithms. The findings indicated that oscillatory connectivity revealed brain network abnormalities in patients with chronic migraine compared with healthy controls, and that oscillatory connectivity exhibited distinct patterns between various pain disorders. After the incorporation of network features, the best classification model demonstrated excellent performance in distinguishing patients with chronic migraine from healthy controls, achieving high accuracy on both training and testing datasets (accuracy > 92.6% and area under the curve > 0.93). Moreover, in validation tests, classification models exhibited high accuracy in discriminating patients with chronic migraine from all other groups of patients (accuracy > 75.7% and area under the curve > 0.8). In conclusion, oscillatory synchrony within the pain-related network and default mode network corresponded to altered neurophysiological processes in patients with chronic migraine. Thus, these networks can serve as pivotal signatures in the model for identifying patients with chronic migraine, providing reliable and generalisable results. This approach may facilitate the objective and individualised diagnosis of migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Jung Hsiao
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Ta Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Keelung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Te Wu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ling Hope Pan
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Feng Wang
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Pin Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Lin Lai
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan
| | - Gianluca Coppola
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
| | - Shuu-Jiun Wang
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan.
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17
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Caston RM, Smith EH, Davis TS, Singh H, Rahimpour S, Rolston JD. Characterization of spatiotemporal dynamics of binary and graded tonic pain in humans using intracranial recordings. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292808. [PMID: 37844101 PMCID: PMC10578592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a complex experience involving sensory, emotional, and cognitive aspects, and multiple networks manage its processing in the brain. Examining how pain transforms into a behavioral response can shed light on the networks' relationships and facilitate interventions to treat chronic pain. However, studies using high spatial and temporal resolution methods to investigate the neural encoding of pain and its psychophysical correlates have been limited. We recorded from intracranial stereo-EEG (sEEG) electrodes implanted in sixteen different brain regions of twenty patients who underwent psychophysical pain testing consisting of a tonic thermal stimulus to the hand. Broadband high-frequency local field potential amplitude (HFA; 70-150 Hz) was isolated to investigate the relationship between the ongoing neural activity and the resulting psychophysical pain evaluations. Two different generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLME) were employed to assess the neural representations underlying binary and graded pain psychophysics. The first model examined the relationship between HFA and whether the patient responded "yes" or "no" to whether the trial was painful. The second model investigated the relationship between HFA and how painful the stimulus was rated on a visual analog scale. GLMEs revealed that HFA in the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and superior temporal gyrus (STG) predicted painful responses at stimulus onset. An increase in HFA in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), SFG, and striatum predicted pain responses at stimulus offset. Numerous regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, IFG, MTG, OFC, and striatum, predicted the pain rating at stimulus onset. However, only the amygdala and fusiform gyrus predicted increased pain ratings at stimulus offset. We characterized the spatiotemporal representations of binary and graded painful responses during tonic pain stimuli. Our study provides evidence from intracranial recordings that the neural encoding of psychophysical pain changes over time during a tonic thermal stimulus, with different brain regions being predictive of pain at the beginning and end of the stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M. Caston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Elliot H. Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Tyler S. Davis
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Hargunbir Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Shervin Rahimpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - John D. Rolston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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18
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Kenefati G, Rockholt MM, Ok D, McCartin M, Zhang Q, Sun G, Maslinski J, Wang A, Chen B, Voigt EP, Chen ZS, Wang J, Doan LV. Changes in alpha, theta, and gamma oscillations in distinct cortical areas are associated with altered acute pain responses in chronic low back pain patients. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1278183. [PMID: 37901433 PMCID: PMC10611481 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1278183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic pain negatively impacts a range of sensory and affective behaviors. Previous studies have shown that the presence of chronic pain not only causes hypersensitivity at the site of injury but may also be associated with pain-aversive experiences at anatomically unrelated sites. While animal studies have indicated that the cingulate and prefrontal cortices are involved in this generalized hyperalgesia, the mechanisms distinguishing increased sensitivity at the site of injury from a generalized site-nonspecific enhancement in the aversive response to nociceptive inputs are not well known. Methods We compared measured pain responses to peripheral mechanical stimuli applied to a site of chronic pain and at a pain-free site in participants suffering from chronic lower back pain (n = 15) versus pain-free control participants (n = 15) by analyzing behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Results As expected, participants with chronic pain endorsed enhanced pain with mechanical stimuli in both back and hand. We further analyzed electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings during these evoked pain episodes. Brain oscillations in theta and alpha bands in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) were associated with localized hypersensitivity, while increased gamma oscillations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and increased theta oscillations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) were associated with generalized hyperalgesia. Discussion These findings indicate that chronic pain may disrupt multiple cortical circuits to impact nociceptive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Kenefati
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mika M. Rockholt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Deborah Ok
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michael McCartin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qiaosheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Guanghao Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Julia Maslinski
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Aaron Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Baldwin Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Erich P. Voigt
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lisa V. Doan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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19
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Erlenwein J, Kästner A, Gram M, Falla D, Drewes AM, Przemeck M, Petzke F. Pain chronification impacts whole-brain functional connectivity in women with hip osteoarthritis during pain stimulation. PAIN MEDICINE (MALDEN, MASS.) 2023; 24:1073-1085. [PMID: 37158606 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnad057] [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: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that patients with chronic pain display altered functional connectivity across distributed brain areas involved in the processing of nociceptive stimuli. The aim of the present study was to investigate how pain chronification modulates whole-brain functional connectivity during evoked clinical and tonic pain. METHODS Patients with osteoarthritis of the hip (n = 87) were classified into 3 stages of pain chronification (Grades I-III, Mainz Pain Staging System). Electroencephalograms were recorded during 3 conditions: baseline, evoked clinical hip pain, and tonic cold pain (cold pressor test). The effects of both factors (recording condition and pain chronification stage) on the phase-lag index, as a measure of neuronal connectivity, were examined for different frequency bands. RESULTS In women, we found increasing functional connectivity in the low-frequency range (delta, 0.5-4 Hz) across pain chronification stages during evoked clinical hip pain and tonic cold pain stimulation. In men, elevated functional connectivity in the delta frequency range was observed in only the tonic cold pain condition. CONCLUSIONS Across pain chronification stages, we found that widespread cortical networks increase their synchronization of delta oscillations in response to clinical and experimental nociceptive stimuli. In view of previous studies relating delta oscillations to salience detection and other basic motivational processes, our results hint at these mechanisms playing an important role in pain chronification, mainly in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Erlenwein
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Clinic, University Medical Centre, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anne Kästner
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Clinic, University Medical Centre, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Mikkel Gram
- Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Deborah Falla
- Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Asbjørn M Drewes
- Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Przemeck
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Annastift, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Frank Petzke
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Clinic, University Medical Centre, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
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20
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Chowdhury NS, Chiang AKI, Millard SK, Skippen P, Chang WJ, Seminowicz DA, Schabrun SM. Alterations in cortical excitability during pain: A combined TMS-EEG Study. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.20.537735. [PMID: 37131586 PMCID: PMC10153239 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.20.537735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used to examine inhibitory and facilitatory circuits during experimental pain and in chronic pain populations. However, current applications of TMS to pain have been restricted to measurements of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from peripheral muscles. Here, TMS was combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to determine whether experimental pain could induce alterations in cortical inhibitory/facilitatory activity observed in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs). In Experiment 1 (n = 29), multiple sustained thermal stimuli were administered to the forearm, with the first, second and third block of thermal stimuli consisting of warm but non-painful (pre-pain block), painful (pain block) and warm but non-painful (post-pain block) temperatures respectively. During each stimulus, TMS pulses were delivered while EEG (64 channels) was simultaneously recorded. Verbal pain ratings were collected between TMS pulses. Relative to pre-pain warm stimuli, painful stimuli led to an increase in the amplitude of the frontocentral negative peak ~45ms post-TMS (N45), with a larger increase associated with higher pain ratings. Experiments 2 and 3 (n = 10 in each) showed that the increase in the N45 in response to pain was not due to changes in sensory potentials associated with TMS, or a result of stronger reafferent muscle feedback during pain. This is the first study to use combined TMS-EEG to examine alterations in cortical excitability in response to pain. These results suggest that the N45 TEP peak, which indexes GABAergic neurotransmission, is implicated in pain perception and is a potential marker of individual differences in pain sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahian S Chowdhury
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alan KI Chiang
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samantha K Millard
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick Skippen
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wei-Ju Chang
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David A Seminowicz
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Siobhan M Schabrun
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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21
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Baek J, Won K, Kim H, Lee S, An J, Jun SC. Pain Classification using Evoked EEG Induced by Thermal Grill Illusion - Deep Neural Network Approach. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-4. [PMID: 38083440 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10340391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
As the quantification of pain has emerged in biomedical engineering today, studies have been developing biomarkers associated with pain actively by measuring bio-signals such as electroencephalogram (EEG). Recently, some EEG studies of cold and hot pain have been reported. However, they used one type of stimulus condition for each trial and a relatively long stimulation time to collect EEG features. In this study, EEG signals during Cool (20 °C), Warm (40 °C), and Thermal Grill Illusion (TGI, 20-40 °C) stimuli were collected from 43 subjects, and were classified by a deep convolutional neural network referred to as EEGNet. Three binary classifications for the three conditions (TGI, Cool, Warm) were conducted for each subject individually. Classification accuracies for TGI-Cool, TGI-Warm, and Warm-Cool were 0.74±0.01, 0.71±0.01, and 0.74±0.01, respectively. For subjects who rated the TGI significantly hotter than the Warm stimulus, the classification accuracy for TGI-Cool (0.74±0.01) was significantly higher than for TGI-Warm (0.71±0.01). In contrast, the classification accuracy for TGI-Cool (0.72±0.03) did not differ statistically from TGI-Warm (0.73±0.01) in subjects without illusion. We found that the TGI and Cool stimuli were classified better than the TGI and Warm stimuli, implying that objective EEG features are consistent with subjective behavioral results. Further, we observed that most discriminative features between the TGI and the Cool or Warm conditions appeared in the parietal area for subjects who perceived the illusion. We postulate that the somato-sensory cortex may be activated when TGI is perceived to be hot pain.
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22
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Rockholt MM, Kenefati G, Doan LV, Chen ZS, Wang J. In search of a composite biomarker for chronic pain by way of EEG and machine learning: where do we currently stand? Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1186418. [PMID: 37389362 PMCID: PMC10301750 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1186418] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Machine learning is becoming an increasingly common component of routine data analyses in clinical research. The past decade in pain research has witnessed great advances in human neuroimaging and machine learning. With each finding, the pain research community takes one step closer to uncovering fundamental mechanisms underlying chronic pain and at the same time proposing neurophysiological biomarkers. However, it remains challenging to fully understand chronic pain due to its multidimensional representations within the brain. By utilizing cost-effective and non-invasive imaging techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) and analyzing the resulting data with advanced analytic methods, we have the opportunity to better understand and identify specific neural mechanisms associated with the processing and perception of chronic pain. This narrative literature review summarizes studies from the last decade describing the utility of EEG as a potential biomarker for chronic pain by synergizing clinical and computational perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika M. Rockholt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - George Kenefati
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lisa V. Doan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Management, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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23
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Deng C, Li Q. Case report: A combination of mirror therapy and magnetic stimulation to the sacral plexus relieved phantom limb pain in a patient. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1187486. [PMID: 37304023 PMCID: PMC10251437 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1187486] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common sequela of amputation, experienced by 50-80% of amputees. Oral analgesics as the first-line therapy have limited effects. Since PLP usually affects activities of daily living and the psychological conditions of patients, effective treatments are imperatively needed. In this case study, a 49-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of uncontrollable paroxysmal pain in his missing and residual leg. Due to severe injuries in a truck accident, the right lower limb of the patient was surgically amputated ~5 years ago. Around 1 month after amputation, he felt pain in his lost leg and PLP was diagnosed. Then, he started taking oral analgesics, but the pain still occurred. After admission on July 9, 2022, the patient received treatments of mirror therapy and magnetic stimulation to the sacral plexus. 1-month treatments reduced the frequency and intensity of pain in the phantom limb and the stump, without any adverse events. Analysis of high-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted brain volume images at the end of 2-month treatments showed alterations in the thickness of cortex regions related to pain processing, compared to that before treatment. This case study gives us hints that one or both interventions of mirror therapy and sacral plexus magnetic stimulation effectively relieved PLP and stump limb pain. These non-invasive, low-cost and easily conducted treatments could be good options for PLP. But randomized controlled trials with a large number of cases are required to confirm their efficacy and safety.
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Shlobin NA, Aru J, Vicente R, Zemmar A. What happens in the brain when we die? Deciphering the neurophysiology of the final moments in life. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1143848. [PMID: 37228251 PMCID: PMC10203241 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1143848] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
When do we die and what happens in the brain when we die? The mystery around these questions has engaged mankind for centuries. Despite the challenges to obtain recordings of the dying brain, recent studies have contributed to better understand the processes occurring during the last moments of life. In this review, we summarize the literature on neurophysiological changes around the time of death. Perhaps the only subjective description of death stems from survivors of near-death experiences (NDEs). Hallmarks of NDEs include memory recall, out-of-body experiences, dreaming, and meditative states. We survey the evidence investigating neurophysiological changes of these experiences in healthy subjects and attempt to incorporate this knowledge into the existing literature investigating the dying brain to provide valuations for the neurophysiological footprint and timeline of death. We aim to identify reasons explaining the variations of data between studies investigating this field and provide suggestions to standardize research and reduce data variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A. Shlobin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan University School of Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Raul Vicente
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ajmal Zemmar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan University School of Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, United States
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25
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Gélébart J, Garcia-Larrea L, Frot M. Amygdala and anterior insula control the passage from nociception to pain. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3538-3547. [PMID: 35965070 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the spinothalamic system does not always result in a subjective pain perception. While the cerebral network processing nociception is relatively well known, the one underlying its transition to conscious pain remains poorly described. We used intracranial electroencephalography in epileptic patients to investigate whether the amplitudes and functional connectivity of posterior and anterior insulae (PI and AI) and amygdala differ according to the subjective reports to laser stimuli delivered at a constant intensity set at nociceptive threshold. Despite the constant intensity of stimuli, all patients reported variable subjective perceptions from one stimulus to the other. Responses in the sensory PI remained stable throughout the experiment, hence reflecting accurately the stability of the stimulus. In contrast, both AI and amygdala responses showed significant enhancements associated with painful relative to nonpainful reports, in a time window corresponding to the conscious integration of the stimulus. Functional connectivity in the gamma band between these two regions increased significantly, both before and after stimuli perceived as painful. While the PI appears to transmit faithfully the actual stimulus intensity received via the spinothalamic tract, the AI and the amygdala appear to play a major role in the transformation of nociceptive signals into a painful perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Gélébart
- Central Integration of Pain (Neuropain Lab) - Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, 69677 Bron cedex, France
| | - Luis Garcia-Larrea
- Central Integration of Pain (Neuropain Lab) - Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, 69677 Bron cedex, France
- Centre d'Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69677 Bron cedex, France
| | - Maud Frot
- Central Integration of Pain (Neuropain Lab) - Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard, 69677 Bron cedex, France
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26
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Caston RM, Smith EH, Davis TS, Singh H, Rahimpour S, Rolston JD. Characterization of spatiotemporal dynamics of binary and graded tonic pain in humans using intracranial recordings. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.08.531576. [PMID: 36945412 PMCID: PMC10028876 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.08.531576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a complex experience involving sensory, emotional, and cognitive aspects, and multiple networks manage its processing in the brain. Examining how pain transforms into a behavioral response can shed light on the networks' relationships and facilitate interventions to treat chronic pain. However, studies using high spatial and temporal resolution methods to investigate the neural encoding of pain and its psychophysical correlates have been limited. We recorded from intracranial stereo-EEG (sEEG) electrodes implanted in sixteen different brain regions of twenty patients who underwent psychophysical pain testing consisting of a tonic thermal stimulus to the hand. Broadband high-frequency local field potential amplitude (HFA; 70-150 Hz) was isolated to investigate the relationship between the ongoing neural activity and the resulting psychophysical pain evaluations. Two different generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLME) were employed to assess the neural representations underlying binary and graded pain psychophysics. The first model examined the relationship between HFA and whether the patient responded "yes" or "no" to whether the trial was painful. The second model investigated the relationship between HFA and how painful the stimulus was rated on a visual analog scale. GLMEs revealed that HFA in the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and superior temporal gyrus (STG) predicted painful responses at stimulus onset. An increase in HFA in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), SFG, and striatum predicted pain responses at stimulus offset. Numerous regions including the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, IFG, MTG, OFC, and striatum, predicted the pain rating at stimulus onset. However, only the amygdala and fusiform gyrus predicted increased pain ratings at stimulus offset. We characterized the spatiotemporal representations of binary and graded painful responses during tonic pain stimuli. Our study provides evidence from intracranial recordings that the neural encoding of psychophysical pain changes over time during a tonic thermal stimulus, with different brain regions being predictive of pain at the beginning and end of the stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M Caston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 84112
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, 84112
| | - Elliot H Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, 84112
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, 84112
| | - Tyler S Davis
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, 84112
| | - Hargunbir Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02115
| | - Shervin Rahimpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 84112
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, 84112
| | - John D Rolston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 84112
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02115
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27
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Bagheri Z, Khosrowabadi R, Hatami J, Armani Kian AR, Fatemi MJ, Khatibi A. Differential Cortical Oscillatory Patterns in Amputees With and Without Phantom Limb Pain. Basic Clin Neurosci 2023; 14:171-184. [PMID: 38107525 PMCID: PMC10719972 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.261.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Phantom limb pain (PLP) as neuropathic pain affects the life of amputees. It is believed an efficient PLP treatment should consider the underlying neurological mechanisms. Hereby, we investigated brain activity in PLP and its relationships to the psychological and cognitive dimensions of chronic pain. We investigate differences in resting brain activities between amputees with and without pain. We hypothesize significant differences in the motor cortex and parietal cortex activity that are related to pain perception. Also, we hypothesize two groups have significant differences in cognitive and psychological components. Methods Behavioral assessment (psychological status, life satisfaction, and pain level) and EEG signals of 19 amputees (12 without pain and 7 with pain) were recorded. Data were statistically compared between the two groups. Also, the association between behavioral and neurophysiological data was computed. Results The results showed a significant decrease in the pain group for the beta and gamma waves, as well as, for the theta and delta waves in the posterior temporal on both sides, during the eye-open condition. The eyes-closed condition showed that the delta waves were decreased on the right side of the cortex. Also, data showed a significant difference in the correlation of pain features with brain waves between the two groups. Conclusion Significant differences were mostly observed in regions related to pain perception rather than the motor cortex. This can be due to the learned strategies to deal with pain and the degree of pain. Results showed maladaptive cognitive processes had a relationship with brain wave activities. According to the result of brain wave activities, it seems that cognitive factors have a role in the experience of PLP rather than neuroplasticity through amputation. Highlights Differences found in the parietal and temporal regions of phantom limb pain's (PLP's) suggests cognition's role in the persistence of PLP.Decreased delta power at the posterior temporal cortex in PLP's could be the focus of treatments.Increased activity of the parietal cortex could be helpful in the treatment of PLP's. Plain Language Summary PLP is an annoying neurologic pain. A wide range of treatments have focused on this type of pain but couldn't be effective. Recently, researchers suggest BCI-based treatments for better treatment. For this type of treatment, we should know the neurological aspect of PLP. In most studies to investigate or treatment of neurological aspects of PLP, researchers induced pain experimentally or studied acute phantom limb pain. We believed for a better understanding of PLP, should investigate it in a natural and stabilized position. Therefore we studied brain activities in amputees with and without PLP in a resting state to find out differences. Trends in this field express the alpha band differences in the motor cortex. On the contrary, our results showed the most significant difference in high-frequency bandpasses such as beta and gamma. Also, in our study, it seems the parietal and temporal cortex that are related to pain perception is the more relevant to PLP. This study showed a psycho-cognitive aspect of pain such as pain exaggeration has a relation with PLP's brain wave activities. So, we can suggest rather than neuroplasticity through amputation, cognitive factors have a role in the experience of PLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Bagheri
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Science Studies, Pardis, Iran
| | - Reza Khosrowabadi
- Department of Cognitive Modeling, Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Hatami
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Science Studies, Pardis, Iran
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Reza Armani Kian
- Department of Psychiatry, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Science, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohamad Javad Fatemi
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hazrat Fatemeh Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Khatibi
- Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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28
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Gamma-band oscillations of pain and nociception: A systematic review and meta-analysis of human and rodent studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 146:105062. [PMID: 36682424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Pain-induced gamma-band oscillations (GBOs) are one of the most promising biomarkers of the pain experience. Although GBOs reliably encode pain perception across different individuals and species, considerable heterogeneity could be observed in the characteristics and functions of GBOs. However, such heterogeneity of GBOs and its underlying sources have rarely been detailed previously. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize the temporal, frequential, and spatial characteristics of GBOs and summarize the functional significance of distinct GBOs. We found that GBO heterogeneity was mainly related to pain types, with a higher frequency (∼66 Hz) GBOs at the sensorimotor cortex elicited by phasic pain and a lower frequency (∼55 Hz) GBOs at the prefrontal cortex associated with tonic and chronic pains. Positive correlations between GBO magnitudes and pain intensity were observed in healthy participants. Notably, the characteristics and functions of GBOs seemed to be phylogenetically conserved across humans and rodents. Altogether, we provided a comprehensive description of heterogeneous GBOs in pain and nociception, laying the foundation for clinical applications of GBOs.
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29
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Mulders D, Seymour B, Mouraux A, Mancini F. Confidence of probabilistic predictions modulates the cortical response to pain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2212252120. [PMID: 36669115 PMCID: PMC9942789 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212252120] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain typically evolves over time, and the brain needs to learn this temporal evolution to predict how pain is likely to change in the future and orient behavior. This process is termed temporal statistical learning (TSL). Recently, it has been shown that TSL for pain sequences can be achieved using optimal Bayesian inference, which is encoded in somatosensory processing regions. Here, we investigate whether the confidence of these probabilistic predictions modulates the EEG response to noxious stimuli, using a TSL task. Confidence measures the uncertainty about the probabilistic prediction, irrespective of its actual outcome. Bayesian models dictate that the confidence about probabilistic predictions should be integrated with incoming inputs and weight learning, such that it modulates the early components of the EEG responses to noxious stimuli, and this should be captured by a negative correlation: when confidence is higher, the early neural responses are smaller as the brain relies more on expectations/predictions and less on sensory inputs (and vice versa). We show that participants were able to predict the sequence transition probabilities using Bayesian inference, with some forgetting. Then, we find that the confidence of these probabilistic predictions was negatively associated with the amplitude of the N2 and P2 components of the vertex potential: the more confident were participants about their predictions, the smaller the vertex potential. These results confirm key predictions of a Bayesian learning model and clarify the functional significance of the early EEG responses to nociceptive stimuli, as being implicated in confidence-weighted statistical learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dounia Mulders
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1PZ, UK
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
- Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-NeuveBelgium
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA02139
| | - Ben Seymour
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, OxfordOX3 9DU, UK
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - André Mouraux
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
| | - Flavia Mancini
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1PZ, UK
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30
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Takeuchi N. Pain control based on oscillatory brain activity using transcranial alternating current stimulation: An integrative review. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:941979. [PMID: 36742359 PMCID: PMC9892942 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.941979] [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: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing effective tools and strategies to relieve chronic pain is a high-priority scientific and clinical goal. In particular, the brain regions related to pain processing have been investigated as potential targets to relieve pain by non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). In addition to elucidating the relationship between pain and oscillatory brain activity, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which can non-invasively entrain oscillatory brain activity and modulate oscillatory brain communication, has attracted scientific attention as a possible technique to control pain. This review focuses on the use of tACS to relieve pain through the manipulation of oscillatory brain activity and its potential clinical applications. Several studies have reported that tACS on a single brain reduces pain by normalizing abnormal oscillatory brain activity in patients with chronic pain. Interpersonal tACS approaches based on inter-brain synchrony to manipulate inter-brain communication may result in pain relief via prosocial effects. Pain is encoded by the spatiotemporal neural communication that represents the integration of cognitive, emotional-affective, and sensorimotor aspects of pain. Therefore, future studies should seek to identify the pathological oscillatory brain communication in chronic pain as a therapeutic target for tACS. In conclusion, tACS could be effective for re-establishing oscillatory brain activity and assisting social interaction, and it might help develop novel approaches for pain control.
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31
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Sun G, McCartin M, Liu W, Zhang Q, Kenefati G, Chen ZS, Wang J. Temporal pain processing in the primary somatosensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Mol Brain 2023; 16:3. [PMID: 36604739 PMCID: PMC9817351 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00991-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is known to have sensory and affective components. The sensory pain component is encoded by neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), whereas the emotional or affective pain experience is in large part processed by neural activities in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The timing of how a mechanical or thermal noxious stimulus triggers activation of peripheral pain fibers is well-known. However, the temporal processing of nociceptive inputs in the cortex remains little studied. Here, we took two approaches to examine how nociceptive inputs are processed by the S1 and ACC. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in both regions, during the application of a brain-computer interface (BCI). First, we compared event related potentials in the S1 and ACC. Next, we used an algorithmic pain decoder enabled by machine-learning to detect the onset of pain which was used during the implementation of the BCI to automatically treat pain. We found that whereas mechanical pain triggered neural activity changes first in the S1, the S1 and ACC processed thermal pain with a reasonably similar time course. These results indicate that the temporal processing of nociceptive information in different regions of the cortex is likely important for the overall pain experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghao Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Michael McCartin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Weizhuo Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Qiaosheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - George Kenefati
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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Maddison R, Nazar H, Obara I, Vuong QC. The efficacy of sensory neural entrainment on acute and chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Pain 2022; 17:126-141. [PMID: 37057253 PMCID: PMC10088425 DOI: 10.1177/20494637221139472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Changes to the power of neural oscillations in cortical and sub-cortical structures can change pain perception. Rhythmic sensory stimulation is a non-invasive method that can increase power in specific frequencies of neural oscillations. If the stimulation frequency targets those frequencies related to pain perception, such as alpha or theta frequencies, there can be a reduction in perceived pain intensity. Thus, sensory neural entrainment may provide an alternative to pharmacological intervention for acute and chronic pain. This review aimed to identify and critically appraise the evidence on the effectiveness of sensory entrainment methods for pain perception. Methods We undertook a systematic search across Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science and Scopus in November 2020 to identify studies investigating the efficacy of sensory entrainment on adults. We assessed studies for their quality using the PRISMA checklist. A random-effects model was used in a meta-analysis to measure the effect of entrainment on pain perception. Results Our systematic review yielded nine studies fitting the search criteria. Studies investigated the effect of visual and auditory entrainment on pain intensity rating, electrophysiological markers of pain and amount of analgesia needed during surgery. The meta-analysis suggests that alpha (8–13 Hz) sensory entrainment is effective for acute pain perception, whereas theta (4–7 Hz) entrainment is effective for chronic pain. Conclusions Although there is heterogeneity in the current evidence, our review highlights the potential use of sensory entrainment to affect acute and chronic pain. Further research is required regarding the timing, duration and frequency of the stimulation to determine the best application for maximum efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys Maddison
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hamde Nazar
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Population and Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ilona Obara
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Quoc C Vuong
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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Clusters of facilitatory and inhibitory conditioned pain modulation responses in a large sample of children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic pain. Pain Rep 2022; 7:e1032. [PMID: 36213595 PMCID: PMC9534368 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Findings from the current study add to the literature by describing different clinical phenotypes of central pain mechanisms of youth with chronic pain. Introduction: When investigating the role of facilitatory and inhibitory pain mechanisms such as conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and temporal summation of pain (TSP), it is important to take both into consideration in a single experimental model to provide the most information on subgroups of patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify subgroups in a large population of pediatric patients with chronic pain based on their facilitatory and inhibitory pain mechanisms and compare them with control subjects. Methods: Five hundred twenty-one female subjects and 147 male subjects between 8 and 21 years old underwent a CPM assessment using a 2-minute tonic noxious heat stimulation as the test stimulus and a 2-minute cold-pressor task (CPT) (12°C) as the conditioning stimulus. Results: The best partition of clusters of patients was 3 clusters accounting for 27.15% of the total variation in the data. Cluster 1 (n = 271) was best characterized by high pain intensity during the CPT, lack of TSP during the test stimuli, and efficient inhibitory CPM. Cluster 2 (n = 186) was best characterized by low pain intensity during the CPT, lack of TSP during the test stimuli, and efficient inhibitory CPM. Cluster 3 (n = 151) was best characterized by high pain intensity during the CPT, presence of TSP during the test stimuli, and inefficient inhibitory CPM. Discussion: A single thermal CPM experimental design can identify combinations of facilitatory and inhibitory pain modulation responses. Findings from the current study add to the literature by describing different clinical phenotypes of central pain mechanisms of youth with chronic pain.
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Relief of chronic pain associated with increase in midline frontal theta power. Pain Rep 2022; 7:e1040. [PMID: 36247110 PMCID: PMC9555895 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Unique electroencephalogram signatures of relief from chronic pain demonstrate theta power increase in the midline frontal cortex. Introduction: Objectives: Methods: Results: Conclusion:
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35
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Hsiao FJ, Chen WT, Pan LLH, Liu HY, Wang YF, Chen SP, Lai KL, Coppola G, Wang SJ. Resting-state magnetoencephalographic oscillatory connectivity to identify patients with chronic migraine using machine learning. J Headache Pain 2022; 23:130. [PMID: 36192689 PMCID: PMC9531441 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01500-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify and validate the neural signatures of resting-state oscillatory connectivity for chronic migraine (CM), we used machine learning techniques to classify patients with CM from healthy controls (HC) and patients with other pain disorders. The cross-sectional study obtained resting-state magnetoencephalographic data from 240 participants (70 HC, 100 CM, 35 episodic migraine [EM], and 35 fibromyalgia [FM]). Source-based oscillatory connectivity of relevant cortical regions was calculated to determine intrinsic connectivity at 1–40 Hz. A classification model that employed a support vector machine was developed using the magnetoencephalographic data to assess the reliability and generalizability of CM identification. In the findings, the discriminative features that differentiate CM from HC were principally observed from the functional interactions between salience, sensorimotor, and part of the default mode networks. The classification model with these features exhibited excellent performance in distinguishing patients with CM from HC (accuracy ≥ 86.8%, area under the curve (AUC) ≥ 0.9) and from those with EM (accuracy: 94.5%, AUC: 0.96). The model also achieved high performance (accuracy: 89.1%, AUC: 0.91) in classifying CM from other pain disorders (FM in this study). These resting-state magnetoencephalographic electrophysiological features yield oscillatory connectivity to identify patients with CM from those with a different type of migraine and pain disorder, with adequate reliability and generalizability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Jung Hsiao
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Ta Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217. .,Department of Neurology, Keelung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Keelung, Taiwan.
| | - Li-Ling Hope Pan
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Yu Liu
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217
| | - Yen-Feng Wang
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217
| | - Shih-Pin Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217
| | - Kuan-Lin Lai
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217
| | - Gianluca Coppola
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
| | - Shuu-Jiun Wang
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Shih Pai Rd Sec 2, Taipei, Taiwan, 11217
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36
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Cholinergic basal forebrain nucleus of Meynert regulates chronic pain-like behavior via modulation of the prelimbic cortex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5014. [PMID: 36008394 PMCID: PMC9411538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32558-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal nucleus of Meynert (NBM) subserves critically important functions in attention, arousal and cognition via its profound modulation of neocortical activity and is emerging as a key target in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's dementias. Despite the crucial role of neocortical domains in pain perception, however, the NBM has not been studied in models of chronic pain. Here, using in vivo tetrode recordings in behaving mice, we report that beta and gamma oscillatory activity is evoked in the NBM by noxious stimuli and is facilitated at peak inflammatory pain-like behavior. Optogenetic and chemogenetic cell-specific, reversible manipulations of NBM cholinergic-GABAergic neurons reveal their role in endogenous control of nociceptive hypersensitivity, which are manifest via projections to the prelimbic cortex, resulting in layer 5-mediated antinociception. Our data unravel the importance of the NBM in top-down control of neocortical processing of pain-like behavior.
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37
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Bassez I, Van de Steen F, Hackl S, Jahn P, Mayr A, Marinazzo D, Schulz E. Investigation on how dynamic effective connectivity patterns encode the fluctuating pain intensity in chronic migraine. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN 2022; 12:100100. [PMID: 36051490 PMCID: PMC9424568 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Chronic migraine is characterised by persistent headaches for >15 days per month; the intensity of the pain is fluctuating over time. Here, we explored the dynamic interplay of connectivity patterns between regions known to be related to pain processing and their relation to the ongoing dynamic pain experience. We recorded EEG from 80 sessions (20 chronic migraine patients in 4 separate sessions of 25 min). The patients were asked to continuously rate the intensity of their endogenous headache. On different time-windows, a dynamic causal model (DCM) of cross spectral responses was inverted to estimate connectivity strengths. For each patient and session, the evolving dynamics of effective connectivity were related to pain intensities and to pain intensity changes by using a Bayesian linear model. Hierarchical Bayesian modelling was further used to examine which connectivity-pain relations are consistent across sessions and across patients. The results reflect the multi-facetted clinical picture of the disease. Across all sessions, each patient with chronic migraine exhibited a distinct pattern of pain intensity-related cortical connectivity. The diversity of the individual findings are accompanied by inconsistent relations between the connectivity parameters and pain intensity or pain intensity changes at group level. This suggests a rejection of the idea of a common neuronal core problem for chronic migraine.
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Mussigmann T, Bardel B, Lefaucheur JP. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain. A systematic review. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119351. [PMID: 35659993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diagnosis and management of chronic neuropathic pain are challenging, leading to current efforts to characterize 'objective' biomarkers of pain using imaging or neurophysiological techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG). A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed-Medline and Web-of-Science until October 2021 to identify EEG biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain in humans. The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale. Experimental, provoked, or chronic non-neuropathic pain studies were excluded. We identified 14 studies, in which resting-state EEG spectral analysis was compared between patients with pain related to a neurological disease and patients with the same disease but without pain or healthy controls. From these heterogeneous exploratory studies, some conclusions can be drawn, even if they must be weighted by the fact that confounding factors, such as medication and association with anxio-depressive disorders, are generally not taken into account. Overall, EEG signal power was increased in the θ band (4-7Hz) and possibly in the high-β band (20-30Hz), but decreased in the high-α-low-β band (10-20Hz) in the presence of ongoing neuropathic pain, while increased γ band oscillations were not evidenced, unlike in experimental pain. Consequently, the dominant peak frequency was decreased in the θ-α band and increased in the whole-β band in neuropathic pain patients. Disappointingly, pain intensity correlated with various EEG changes across studies, with no consistent trend. This review also discusses the location of regional pain-related EEG changes in the pain connectome, as the perspectives offered by advanced techniques of EEG signal analysis (source location, connectivity, or classification methods based on artificial intelligence). The biomarkers provided by resting-state EEG are of particular interest for optimizing the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain by neuromodulation techniques, such as transcranial alternating current stimulation or neurofeedback procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Mussigmann
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France
| | - Benjamin Bardel
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France
| | - Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France.
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Greyson B, van Lommel P, Fenwick P. Commentary: Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:899491. [PMID: 35663570 PMCID: PMC9157615 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.899491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Greyson
- Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Bruce Greyson
| | - Pim van Lommel
- Department of Cardiology, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, Netherlands
| | - Peter Fenwick
- Department of Psychiatry, Emeritus Maudsley Hospital and Emeritus Kings College Institute of Psychiatry, London, England
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40
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De Pascalis V, Vecchio A. The influence of EEG oscillations, heart rate variability changes, and personality on self-pain and empathy for pain under placebo analgesia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6041. [PMID: 35410362 PMCID: PMC9001726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10071-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We induced placebo analgesia (PA), a phenomenon explicitly attenuating the self-pain feeling, to assess whether this resulted in reduced empathy pain when witnessing a confederate undergoing such pain experience. We recorded EEG and electrocardiogram during a painful Control and PA treatment in healthy adults who rated their experienced pain and empathy for pain. We derived HRV changes and, using wavelet analysis of non-phase-locked event-related EEG oscillations, EEG spectral power differences for self-pain and other-pain conditions. First-hand PA reduced self-pain and self-unpleasantness, whereas we observed only a slight decrease in other unpleasantness. We derived linear combinations of HRV and EEG band power changes significantly associated with self-pain and empathy for pain changes using PCAs. Lower Behavioral Inhibition System scores predicted self-pain reduction through the mediating effect of a relative HR-slowing and a decreased midline ϑ-band (4-8 Hz) power factor moderated by lower Fight-Flight-Freeze System trait scores. In the other-pain condition, we detected a direct positive influence of Total Empathic Ability on the other-pain decline with a mediating role of the midline β2-band (22-30 Hz) power reduction. These findings suggest that PA modulation of first-hand versus other pain relies on functionally different physiological processes involving different personality traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilfredo De Pascalis
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Arianna Vecchio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi, 78, 00185, Rome, Italy
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41
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Assessing the specificity of the relationship between brain alpha oscillations and tonic pain. Neuroimage 2022; 255:119143. [PMID: 35378288 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research proposed that the slowing of individual alpha frequency (IAF) could be an objective marker of pain. However, it is unclear whether this research can fully address the requirements of specificity and sensitivity of IAF to the pain experience. Here, we sought to develop a robust methodology for assessing the specificity of the relationship between alpha oscillations and acute tonic pain in healthy individuals. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) of 36 volunteers during consecutive 5-minute sessions of painful hot water immersion, innocuous warm water immersion and aversive, non-painful auditory stimulus, matched by unpleasantness to the painful condition. Participants rated stimulus unpleasantness throughout each condition. We isolated two regions of the scalp displaying peak alpha activity across participants: centro-parietal (CP) and parieto-occipital (PO) ROI. In line with previous research our findings revealed decreased IAF during hot compared with warm stimulation, however the effect was not specific for pain as we found no difference between hot and sound in the CP ROI (compared to baseline). In contrast, the PO ROI reported the same pattern of differences, but their direction was opposite to the CP in that this ROI revealed faster frequency during hot condition than controls. Finally, we show that IAF in both ROIs did not mediate the relationship between the experimental manipulation and the affective experience. Altogether, these findings emphasize the importance of a robust methodological and analytical design to disclose the functional role of alpha oscillations during affective processing. Likewise, they suggest the absence of a causal role of IAF in the generation of acute pain experience in healthy individuals.
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Zis P, Liampas A, Artemiadis A, Tsalamandris G, Neophytou P, Unwin Z, Kimiskidis VK, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Varrassi G, Zhao Y, Sarrigiannis PG. EEG Recordings as Biomarkers of Pain Perception: Where Do We Stand and Where to Go? Pain Ther 2022; 11:369-380. [PMID: 35322392 PMCID: PMC9098726 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-022-00372-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The universality and complexity of pain, which is highly prevalent, yield its significance to both patients and researchers. Developing a non-invasive tool that can objectively measure pain is of the utmost importance for clinical and research purposes. Traditionally electroencephalography (EEG) has been mostly used in epilepsy; however, over the recent years EEG has become an important non-invasive clinical tool that has helped increase our understanding of brain network complexities and for the identification of areas of dysfunction. This review aimed to investigate the role of EEG recordings as potential biomarkers of pain perception. Methods A systematic search of the PubMed database led to the identification of 938 papers, of which 919 were excluded as a result of not meeting the eligibility criteria, and one article was identified through screening of the reference lists of the 19 eligible studies. Ultimately, 20 papers were included in this systematic review. Results Changes of the cortical activation have potential, though the described changes are not always consistent. The most consistent finding is the increase in the delta and gamma power activity. Only a limited number of studies have looked into brain networks encoding pain perception. Conclusion Although no robust EEG biomarkers of pain perception have been identified yet, EEG has potential and future research should be attempted. Designing strong research protocols, controlling for potential risk of biases, as well as investigating brain networks rather than isolated cortical changes will be crucial in this attempt. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40122-022-00372-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Zis
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Neurology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andreas Liampas
- Department of Neurology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Artemios Artemiadis
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Neurology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Zoe Unwin
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Vasilios K. Kimiskidis
- 1st Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou
- Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Neurology, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Yifan Zhao
- School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
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Wang H, Guo Y, Tu Y, Peng W, Lu X, Bi Y, Iannetti GD, Hu L. Neural processes responsible for the translation of sustained nociceptive inputs into subjective pain experience. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:634-650. [PMID: 35244170 PMCID: PMC9890464 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tracking and predicting the temporal structure of nociceptive inputs is crucial to promote survival, as proper and immediate reactions are necessary to avoid actual or potential bodily injury. Neural activities elicited by nociceptive stimuli with different temporal structures have been described, but the neural processes responsible for translating nociception into pain perception are not fully elucidated. To tap into this issue, we recorded electroencephalographic signals from 48 healthy participants receiving thermo-nociceptive stimuli with 3 different durations and 2 different intensities. We observed that pain perception and several brain responses are modulated by stimulus duration and intensity. Crucially, we identified 2 sustained brain responses that were related to the emergence of painful percepts: a low-frequency component (LFC, < 1 Hz) originated from the insula and anterior cingulate cortex, and an alpha-band event-related desynchronization (α-ERD, 8-13 Hz) generated from the sensorimotor cortex. These 2 sustained brain responses were highly coupled, with the α-oscillation amplitude that fluctuated with the LFC phase. Furthermore, the translation of stimulus duration into pain perception was serially mediated by α-ERD and LFC. The present study reveals how brain responses elicited by nociceptive stimulation reflect the complex processes occurring during the translation of nociceptive information into pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailu Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yifei Guo
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 30 16163, Italy,Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Yiheng Tu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- Brain Function and Psychological Science Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Xuejing Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanzhi Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gian Domenico Iannetti
- Neuroscience and Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 30 16163, Italy,Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Li Hu
- Corresponding author: CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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44
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Alhajri N, Boudreau SA, Graven-Nielsen T. Angular gyrus connectivity at alpha and beta oscillations is reduced during tonic pain - Differential effect of eye state. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102907. [PMID: 34915329 PMCID: PMC8683773 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Tonic pain differentially altered AG connectivity during eyes closed and eyes open. Negative mood and/or sleep quality can influence pain-related connectivity. Eyes closed baseline may allow for a reliable detection of pain-related changes. Eyes-closed-eyes-open sequence is crucial for assessing pain-related connectivity.
The angular gyrus (AG) is a common hub in the pain networks. The role of the AG during pain perception, however, is still unclear. This crossover study examined the effect of tonic pain on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the AG under eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO). It included two sessions (placebo/pain) separated by 24 hours. Pain was induced using topical capsaicin (or placebo as control) on the right forearm. Electroencephalographic rsFC assessed by Granger causality was acquired from 28 healthy participants (14 women) before (baseline) and 1-hour following the application of placebo/capsaicin. Subjects were randomly assigned and balanced to groups of recording sequence (EC-EO, EO-EC). Decreased rsFC at alpha-1 and beta, but not alpha-2, oscillations was found during pain compared to baseline during EC only. For alpha-1, EC-EO group showed a pain-induced decrease only among connections between the right AG and each of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC, P = 0.002), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, P = 0.005), and the left AG (P = 0.023). For beta rsFC, the EC-EO group showed a bilateral decrease in rsFC spanning the connections between the right AG and mPFC (P = 0.015) and between the left AG and each of PCC (P = 0.004) and mPFC (P = 0.026). In contrast, the EO-EC group showed an increase in beta rsFC only among connections between the left AG and each of PCC (P = 0.012) and mPFC (P = 0.036). No significant change in the AG rsFC was found during EO. These results provide insight into the involvement of the AG in pain perception and reveal methodological considerations when assessing rsFC during EO and EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najah Alhajri
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Shellie Ann Boudreau
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Thomas Graven-Nielsen
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
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45
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Savignac C, Ocay DD, Mahdid Y, Blain-Moraes S, Ferland CE. Clinical use of Electroencephalography in the Assessment of Acute Thermal Pain: A Narrative Review Based on Articles From 2009 to 2019. Clin EEG Neurosci 2022; 53:124-132. [PMID: 34133245 DOI: 10.1177/15500594211026280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, no practical system has successfully been able to decode and predict pain in clinical settings. The inability of some patients to verbally express their pain creates the need for a tool that could objectively assess pain in these individuals. Neuroimaging techniques combined with machine learning are seen as possible candidates for the identification of pain biomarkers. This review aimed to address the potential use of electroencephalographic features as predictors of acute experimental pain. Twenty-six studies using only thermal stimulations were identified using a PubMed and Scopus search. Combinations of the following terms were used: "EEG," "Electroencephalography," "Acute," "Pain," "Tonic," "Noxious," "Thermal," "Stimulation," "Brain," "Activity," "Cold," "Subjective," and "Perception." Results revealed that contact-heat-evoked potentials have been widely recorded over central areas during noxious heat stimulations. Furthermore, a decrease in alpha power over central regions was revealed, as well as increased theta and gamma powers over frontal areas. Gamma and theta rhythms were associated with connectivity between sensory and affective regions involved in pain processing. A machine learning analysis revealed that the gamma band is a predominant predictor of acute thermal pain. This review also addressed the need of supplementing current spectral features with techniques that allow the investigation of network dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Savignac
- 5620McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,70357Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Don Daniel Ocay
- 5620McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,70357Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | - Catherine E Ferland
- 5620McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,70357Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Research Institute-McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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46
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Lyu Y, Zidda F, Radev ST, Liu H, Guo X, Tong S, Flor H, Andoh J. Gamma Band Oscillations Reflect Sensory and Affective Dimensions of Pain. Front Neurol 2022; 12:695187. [PMID: 35082742 PMCID: PMC8784749 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.695187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is a multidimensional process, which can be modulated by emotions; however, the mechanisms underlying this modulation are unknown. We used pictures with different emotional valence (negative, positive, and neutral) as primes and applied electrical painful stimuli as targets to healthy participants. We assessed pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings and recorded electroencephalograms (EEGs). We found that pain unpleasantness and not pain intensity ratings were modulated by emotion, with increased ratings for negative and decreased ratings for positive pictures. We also found two consecutive gamma band oscillations (GBOs) related to pain processing from time frequency analyses of the EEG signals. The early GBO had a cortical distribution contralateral to the painful stimulus and its amplitude was positively correlated with intensity and unpleasantness ratings, but not with prime valence. The late GBO had a centroparietal distribution and its amplitude was larger for negative compared to neutral and positive pictures. The emotional modulation effect (negative vs. positive) of the late GBO amplitude was positively correlated with pain unpleasantness. The early GBO might reflect the overall pain perception, possibly involving the thalamocortical circuit, while the late GBO might be related to the affective dimension of pain and top-down-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Lyu
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Francesca Zidda
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan T Radev
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hongcai Liu
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanbao Tong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jamila Andoh
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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47
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Individually unique dynamics of cortical connectivity reflect the ongoing intensity of chronic pain. Pain 2022; 163:1987-1998. [PMID: 35082250 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Chronic pain diseases are characterised by an ongoing and fluctuating endogenous pain, yet it remains to be elucidated how this is reflected by the dynamics of ongoing functional cortical connections.Here, we investigated the cortical encoding of 20 chronic back pain patients and 20 chronic migraineurs in four repeated fMRI sessions. A brain parcellation approach subdivided the whole brain into 408 regions. Linear mixed effects models were fitted for each pair of brain regions to explore the relationship between the dynamic cortical connectivity and the observed trajectory of the patients' ratings of fluctuating endogenous pain.Overall, we found that periods of high and increasing pain were predominantly related to low cortical connectivity. The change of pain intensity in chronic back pain was subserved by connections in left parietal opercular regions, right insular regions, as well as large parts of the parietal, cingular and motor cortices. The change of pain intensity direction in chronic migraine was reflected by decreasing connectivity between the anterior insular cortex and orbitofrontal areas, as well as between the PCC and frontal and ACC regions.Interestingly, the group results were not mirrored by the individual patterns of pain-related connectivity, which is suggested to deny the idea of a common neuronal core problem for chronic pain diseases. The diversity of the individual cortical signatures of chronic pain encoding results adds to the understanding of chronic pain as a complex and multifaceted disease. The present findings support recent developments for more personalised medicine.
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48
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Tayeb Z, Dragomir A, Lee JH, Abbasi NI, Dean E, Bandla A, Bose R, Sundar R, Bezerianos A, Thakor NV, Cheng G. Distinct spatio-temporal and spectral brain patterns for different thermal stimuli perception. Sci Rep 2022; 12:919. [PMID: 35042875 PMCID: PMC8766611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04831-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the human brain's perception of different thermal sensations has sparked the interest of many neuroscientists. The identification of distinct brain patterns when processing thermal stimuli has several clinical applications, such as phantom-limb pain prediction, as well as increasing the sense of embodiment when interacting with neurorehabilitation devices. Notwithstanding the remarkable number of studies that have touched upon this research topic, understanding how the human brain processes different thermal stimuli has remained elusive. More importantly, very intense thermal stimuli perception dynamics, their related cortical activations, as well as their decoding using effective features are still not fully understood. In this study, using electroencephalography (EEG) recorded from three healthy human subjects, we identified spatial, temporal, and spectral patterns of brain responses to different thermal stimulations ranging from extremely cold and hot stimuli (very intense), moderately cold and hot stimuli (intense), to a warm stimulus (innocuous). Our results show that very intense thermal stimuli elicit a decrease in alpha power compared to intense and innocuous stimulations. Spatio-temporal analysis reveals that in the first 400 ms post-stimulus, brain activity increases in the prefrontal and central brain areas for very intense stimulations, whereas for intense stimulation, high activity of the parietal area was observed post-500 ms. Based on these identified EEG patterns, we successfully classified the different thermal stimulations with an average test accuracy of 84% across all subjects. En route to understanding the underlying cortical activity, we source localized the EEG signal for each of the five thermal stimuli conditions. Our findings reveal that very intense stimuli were anticipated and induced early activation (before 400 ms) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Moreover, activation of the pre-frontal cortex, somatosensory, central, and parietal areas, was observed in the first 400 ms post-stimulation for very intense conditions and starting 500 ms post-stimuli for intense conditions. Overall, despite the small sample size, this work presents novel findings and a first comprehensive approach to explore, analyze, and classify EEG-brain activity changes evoked by five different thermal stimuli, which could lead to a better understanding of thermal stimuli processing in the brain and could, therefore, pave the way for developing a real-time withdrawal reaction system when interacting with prosthetic limbs. We underpin this last point by benchmarking our EEG results with a demonstration of a real-time withdrawal reaction of a robotic prosthesis using a human-like artificial skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zied Tayeb
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany.
| | - Andrei Dragomir
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Jin Ho Lee
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Nida Itrat Abbasi
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Emmanuel Dean
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aishwarya Bandla
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Rohit Bose
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Raghav Sundar
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Anastasios Bezerianos
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), Centre for Research and Technology (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nitish V Thakor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 3, #04-08, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Gordon Cheng
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
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49
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Deak B, Eggert T, Mayr A, Stankewitz A, Filippopulos F, Jahn P, Witkovsky V, Straube A, Schulz E. Intrinsic Network Activity Reflects the Fluctuating Experience of Tonic Pain. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4098-4109. [PMID: 35024821 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab468] [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: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although we know sensation is continuous, research on long-lasting and continuously changing stimuli is scarce and the dynamic nature of ongoing cortical processing is largely neglected. In a longitudinal study, 38 participants across four sessions were asked to continuously rate the intensity of an applied tonic heat pain for 20 min. Using group-independent component analysis and dual regression, we extracted the subjects' time courses of intrinsic network activity. The relationship between the dynamic fluctuation of network activity with the varying time courses of three pain processing entities was computed: pain intensity, the direction of pain intensity changes, and temperature. We were able to dissociate the spatio-temporal patterns of objective (temperature) and subjective (pain intensity/changes of pain intensity) aspects of pain processing in the human brain. We found two somatosensory networks with distinct functions: one network that encodes the small fluctuations in temperature and consists mainly of bilateral primary somatosensory cortex (SI), and a second right-lateralized network that encodes the intensity of the subjective experience of pain consisting of SI, secondary somatosensory cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, and the thalamus. We revealed the somatosensory dynamics that build up toward a current subjective percept of pain. The timing suggests a cascade of subsequent processing steps toward the current pain percept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Deak
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Eggert
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Astrid Mayr
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany.,Department of Radiology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Anne Stankewitz
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Filipp Filippopulos
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Pauline Jahn
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Viktor Witkovsky
- Department of Theoretical Methods, Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Andreas Straube
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Enrico Schulz
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany.,Department of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80336 Munich, Germany
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50
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Mayr A, Jahn P, Stankewitz A, Deak B, Winkler A, Witkovsky V, Eren O, Straube A, Schulz E. Patients with chronic pain exhibit individually unique cortical signatures of pain encoding. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:1676-1693. [PMID: 34921467 PMCID: PMC8886665 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is characterised by an ongoing and fluctuating intensity over time. Here, we investigated how the trajectory of the patients' endogenous pain is encoded in the brain. In repeated functional MRI (fMRI) sessions, 20 patients with chronic back pain and 20 patients with chronic migraine were asked to continuously rate the intensity of their endogenous pain. Linear mixed effects models were used to disentangle cortical processes related to pain intensity and to pain intensity changes. At group level, we found that the intensity of pain in patients with chronic back pain is encoded in the anterior insular cortex, the frontal operculum, and the pons; the change of pain in chronic back pain and chronic migraine patients is mainly encoded in the anterior insular cortex. At the individual level, we identified a more complex picture where each patient exhibited their own signature of endogenous pain encoding. The diversity of the individual cortical signatures of chronic pain encoding results bridge between clinical observations and neuroimaging; they add to the understanding of chronic pain as a complex and multifaceted disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Mayr
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Pauline Jahn
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anne Stankewitz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bettina Deak
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anderson Winkler
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Viktor Witkovsky
- Department of Theoretical Methods, Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Ozan Eren
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Straube
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Enrico Schulz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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