1
|
Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Orbitostriatal encoding of reward delayed gratification and impulsivity in chronic pain. Brain Res 2024; 1839:149044. [PMID: 38821332 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149044] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Central robust network functional rearrangement is a characteristic of several neurological conditions, including chronic pain. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown the importance of pain-induced dysfunction in both orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) brain regions for the emergence of cognitive deficits. Outcome information processing recruits the orbitostriatal circuitry, a pivotal pathway regarding context-dependent reward value encoding. The current literature reveals the existence of structural and functional changes in the orbitostriatal crosstalk in chronic pain conditions, which have emerged as a possible underlying cause for reward and time discrimination impairments observed in individuals affected by such disturbances. However, more comprehensive investigations are needed to elucidate the underlying disturbances that underpin disease development. In this review article, we aim to provide a comprehensive view of the orbitostriatal mechanisms underlying time-reward dependent behaviors, and integrate previous findings on local and network malplasticity under the framework of the chronic pain sphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal; Programa doutoral em Neurociências (PDN), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Adachi K, Takizawa R. Effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention on brain haemodynamics: a pilot randomized controlled trial using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae321. [PMID: 39147390 PMCID: PMC11326825 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae321] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Although many neuroimaging studies have evaluated changes in the prefrontal cortex during mindfulness-based interventions, most of these studies were cross-sectional studies of skilled participants or involved pre-post comparisons before and after a single session. While functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a useful tool to capture changes in the hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during continuous mindfulness-based intervention, its ability to detect the accumulated effects of continuous mindfulness-based intervention is currently unclear. We investigated whether a 12-wk online mindfulness-based intervention changed the hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during a verbal fluency task. Eighty-two healthy university students were randomly allocated to a 12-wk online mindfulness-based intervention group or a wait-list control group. The integral values of oxygenated hemoglobin measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy before and after the intervention were compared to the values in the wait-list group. The intervention condition showed significantly greater functional near-infrared spectroscopy signal activation than the control condition; however, the effect sizes before and after the intervention were small. Thus, continuous mindfulness-based intervention could alter prefrontal cortex function, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy could be useful for measuring the accumulated effects of continuous mindfulness-based interventions. With a better understanding of the association between mindfulness and functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals, functional near-infrared spectroscopy can be used for biofeedback analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Adachi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryu Takizawa
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shen QQ, Hou JM, Xia T, Zhang JY, Wang DL, Yang Y, Luo R, Xin ZL, Yin HC, Cui L. Exercise promotes brain health: a systematic review of fNIRS studies. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1327822. [PMID: 38659667 PMCID: PMC11042249 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1327822] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Exercise can induce brain plasticity. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a functional neuroimaging technique that exploits cerebral hemodynamics and has been widely used in the field of sports psychology to reveal the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise. However, most existing fNIRS studies are cross-sectional and do not include exercise interventions. In addition, attributed to differences in experimental designs, the causal relationship between exercise and brain functions remains elusive. Hence, this systematic review aimed to determine the effects of exercise interventions on alterations in brain functional activity in healthy individuals using fNIRS and to determine the applicability of fNIRS in the research design of the effects of various exercise interventions on brain function. Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, and Weipu databases were searched for studies published up to June 15, 2021. This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Two investigators independently selected articles and extracted relevant information. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with another author. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias method. Data were pooled using random-effects models. A total of 29 studies were included in the analysis. Our results indicated that exercise interventions alter oxygenated hemoglobin levels in the prefrontal cortex and motor cortex, which are associated with improvements in higher cognitive functions (e.g., inhibitory control and working memory). The frontal cortex and motor cortex may be key regions for exercise-induced promotion of brain health. Future research is warranted on fluctuations in cerebral blood flow during exercise to elucidate the neural mechanism underlying the effects of exercise. Moreover, given that fNIRS is insensitive to motion, this technique is ideally suited for research during exercise interventions. Important factors include the study design, fNIRS device parameters, and exercise protocol. The examination of cerebral blood flow during exercise intervention is a future research direction that has the potential to identify cortical hemodynamic changes and elucidate the relationship between exercise and cognition. Future studies can combine multiple study designs to measure blood flow prior to and after exercise and during exercise in a more in-depth and comprehensive manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Heng-chan Yin
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Cui
- College of P. E. and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li X, Zhou Y, Zhang C, Wang H, Wang X. Neural correlates of breath work, mental imagery of yoga postures, and meditation in yoga practitioners: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1322071. [PMID: 38576867 PMCID: PMC10991824 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1322071] [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: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Previous research has shown numerous health benefits of yoga, a multicomponent physical and mental activity. The three important aspects of both traditional and modern yoga are breath work, postures, and meditation. However, the neural mechanisms associated with these three aspects of yoga remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the neural underpinnings associated with each of these three yoga components in long- and short-term yoga practitioners to clarify the neural advantages of yoga experience, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of yoga's health-promoting effects. Methods Participants were 40 Chinese women, 20 with a long-term yoga practice and 20 with a short-term yoga practice. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was conducted while participants performed abdominal breathing, mental imagery of yoga postures, and mindfulness meditation. The oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations activated in the brain during these three tasks were used to assess the neural responses to the different aspects of yoga practice. The self-reported mastery of each yoga posture was used to assess the advantages of practicing yoga postures. Results Blood oxygen levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during breath work were significantly higher in long-term yoga practitioners than in short-term yoga practitioners. In the mental imagery of yoga postures task, self-reported data showed that long-term yoga practitioners had better mastery than short-term practitioners. Long-term yoga practitioners demonstrated lower activation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, with lower blood oxygen levels associated with performing this task, than short-term yoga practitioners. In the mindfulness meditation task, blood oxygen levels in the orbitofrontal cortex and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly higher in long-term yoga practitioners than in short-term yoga practitioners. Conclusion The three core yoga components, namely, yogic breathing, postures, and meditation, showed differences and similarities in the activation levels of the prefrontal cortex. Long-term practice of each component led to the neural benefits of efficient activation in the prefrontal cortex, especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiawen Li
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenping Zhang
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongbiao Wang
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kurth F, Strohmaier S, Luders E. Reduced Age-Related Gray Matter Loss in the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Long-Term Meditators. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1677. [PMID: 38137125 PMCID: PMC10741700 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121677] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a functionally heterogeneous brain region contributing to mental processes relating to meditation practices. The OFC has been reported to decline in volume with increasing age and differs in volume between meditation practitioners and non-practitioners. We hypothesized that the age-related decline of the OFC is diminished in meditation practitioners. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 50 long-term meditators and 50 matched controls by correlating chronological age with regional gray matter volumes of the left and right OFC, as well as in seven left and right cytoarchitectonically defined subregions of the OFC (Fo1-Fo7). In both meditators and controls, we observed a negative relationship between age and OFC (sub)volumes, indicating that older participants have smaller OFC volumes. However, in meditators, the age-related decline was less steep compared to controls. These age-related differences reached significance for left and right Fo2, Fo3, Fo4, and Fo7, as well as left Fo5 and right Fo6. Since different subregions of the OFC are associated with distinct brain functions, further investigations are required to explore the functional implications of these findings in the context of meditation and the aging brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Strohmaier
- Psychology Discipline, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3011, Australia
| | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kundarti FI, Titisari I, Rahayu DE, Kiswati, Jamhariyah. Mindfulness improves the mental health of infertile women: A systematic review. J Public Health Res 2023; 12:22799036231196693. [PMID: 37711728 PMCID: PMC10498716 DOI: 10.1177/22799036231196693] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Infertility in women causes mental health problems, the bad ones. Women with infertility need psychological treatment using mindfulness interventions. This study's purpose was to analyze mindfulness's effect on the mental health of women with infertility through a systematic review. The method used in this systematic review was by searching through the following databases; ProQuest database, Wiley Library, Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct, Sage Journal, Cochrane Library, and Cambridge Core from January 2011 to December 2021. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Results show that the use of mindfulness was found to be effective in reducing mental disorders in women with infertility. Nine articles that meet the criteria for inclusion. According to a study on the effects of mindfulness on infertile women, affect increasing mental health levels by reducing mental health disorder scores. Mindfulness has been proven to be an effective intervention for women undergoing infertility-related mental disorders such as stress, anxiety, and depression. However, different types of mindfulness-based interventions are used to target different mental health issues. For example, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) targets stress and anxiety while Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) targets depression. Additionally, specific mindfulness for example, for the midwifery profession can be developed to improve the quality and treatment outcomes of healthcare for women struggling with infertility problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Finta Isti Kundarti
- Department of Midwifery, Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Ira Titisari
- Department of Midwifery, Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Dwi Estuning Rahayu
- Department of Midwifery, Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Kiswati
- Department of Midwifery, Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Jamhariyah
- Department of Midwifery, Polytechnic of Health, Ministry of Health, Malang, Indonesia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Does Hypnotizability Affect Neurovascular Coupling During Cognitive Tasks? Physiol Behav 2022; 257:113915. [PMID: 35843420 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The susceptibility to hypnosis is a very pervasive psychophysiological trait characterized by different attentional abilities, information processing, and cardiovascular control. Since near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a good index of neurovascular coupling, we used it during mental computation (MC) and trail making task (TMT) in 13 healthy low-to-medium (med-lows) and 10 healthy medium-to-high hypnotizable (med-highs) participants classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS), form A, and characterized for the level of proneness to be deeply absorbed in cognitive tasks by the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). Med-highs reported greater absorption than med-lows. The tissue hemoglobin index (THI) and the tissue oxygenation index (TOI) increased across the tasks only in med-highs who displayed also different time courses of THI and TOI during MC and TMT, which indicates different tasks processing despite the two groups' similar performance. The findings suggest that the med-highs' tissue oxygenation is more finely adjusted to metabolic demands than med-lows'.
Collapse
|
8
|
Ito E, Oka K, Koshikawa F. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex sensing analgesia. Biophys Physicobiol 2022; 19:1-10. [PMID: 35797407 PMCID: PMC9173858 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v19.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain often has an unknown cause, and many patients with chronic pain learn to accept that their pain is incurable and pharmacologic treatments are only temporarily effective. Complementary and integrative health approaches for pain are thus in high demand. One such approach is soft touch, e.g., adhesion of pyramidal thorn patches in a pain region. The effects of patch adhesion on pain relief have been confirmed in patients with various types of pain. A recent study using near-infrared spectroscopy revealed that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), especially the left side, is likely to be inactivated in patients experiencing pain relief during patch treatment. Mindfulness meditation is another well-known complementary and integrative approach for achieving pain relief. The relation between pain relief due to mindfulness meditation and changes in brain regions, including the DLPFC, has long been examined. In the present review article, we survey the literature describing the effects of the above-mentioned complementary and integrative treatments on pain relief, and outline the important brain regions, including the DLPFC, that are involved in analgesia. We hope that the present article will provide clues to researchers who hope to advance neurosensory treatments for pain relief without medication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Keio University
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hu XS, Beard K, Sherbel MC, Nascimento TD, Petty S, Pantzlaff E, Schwitzer D, Kaciroti N, Maslowski E, Ashman LM, Feinberg SE, DaSilva AF. Brain Mechanisms of Virtual Reality Breathing Versus Traditional Mindful Breathing in Pain Modulation: Observational Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e27298. [PMID: 34636731 PMCID: PMC8548979 DOI: 10.2196/27298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pain is a complex experience that involves sensory-discriminative and cognitive-emotional neuronal processes. It has long been known across cultures that pain can be relieved by mindful breathing (MB). There is a common assumption that MB exerts its analgesic effect through interoception. Interoception refers to consciously refocusing the mind's attention to the physical sensation of internal organ function. OBJECTIVE In this study, we dissect the cortical analgesic processes by imaging the brains of healthy subjects exposed to traditional MB (TMB) and compare them with another group for which we augmented MB to an outside sensory experience via virtual reality breathing (VRB). METHODS The VRB protocol involved in-house-developed virtual reality 3D lungs that synchronized with the participants' breathing cycles in real time, providing them with an immersive visual-auditory exteroception of their breathing. RESULTS We found that both breathing interventions led to a significant increase in pain thresholds after week-long practices, as measured by a thermal quantitative sensory test. However, the underlying analgesic brain mechanisms were opposite, as revealed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy data. In the TMB practice, the anterior prefrontal cortex uniquely modulated the premotor cortex. This increased its functional connection with the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), thereby facilitating the S1-based sensory-interoceptive processing of breathing but inhibiting its other role in sensory-discriminative pain processing. In contrast, virtual reality induced an immersive 3D exteroception with augmented visual-auditory cortical activations, which diminished the functional connection with the S1 and consequently weakened the pain processing function of the S1. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our study suggested two analgesic neuromechanisms of VRB and TMB practices-exteroception and interoception-that distinctively modulated the S1 processing of the ascending noxious inputs. This is in line with the concept of dualism (Yin and Yang).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Su Hu
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Katherine Beard
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Mary Catherine Sherbel
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Thiago D Nascimento
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sean Petty
- 3D Lab, Digital Media Commons, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Eddie Pantzlaff
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - David Schwitzer
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Niko Kaciroti
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | | | - Lawrence M Ashman
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephen E Feinberg
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Alexandre F DaSilva
- Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics Department, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Miyashiro S, Yamada Y, Nagaoka M, Shima R, Muta T, Ishikawa H, Abe T, Hori M, Oka K, Koshikawa F, Ito E. Pain relief associated with decreased oxyhemoglobin level in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256626. [PMID: 34424921 PMCID: PMC8382195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain in the elbow, shoulder, knee, lower back, and various other joints is relieved by adhesion of pyramidal thorn patches. To elucidate the pain relief mechanism induced by the patches, we established a quantitative method for estimating the pain reduction and investigated the brain regions that change in association with pain relief. We first attempted to quantify the pain relief using transcutaneous electric stimulation (TCES) and a visual analog scale (VAS), and then applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We also examined the salivary oxytocin levels, which are thought to reflect oxytocin secretion levels from the posterior pituitary in the brain. Application of pyramidal thorn patches to pain regions decreased the pain degree estimated using TCES and VAS. Oxyhemoglobin levels were likely to be decreased in the left DLPFC on the basis of NIRS measurements during patch treatment, suggesting that the left DLPFC is involved in pain relief. On the other hand, the salivary oxytocin levels varied widely. A potential reason for the varying salivary oxytocin levels is its utilization in the pain region as an analgesic agent. Our results suggest that the left DLPFC will become a target brain region for pain therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yurika Yamada
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Rei Shima
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshizumi Muta
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Ishikawa
- Department of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuri Abe
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Hori
- Department of Educational Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | | | - Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|