Cortical involvement during the description of head pain

Abstract

Pain perception involves several cortical areas. Our purpose was to examine cortical activity in patients describing their cephalic pain with the MacGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Two SPECT analyses were performed in pain-free periods in 10 patients with migraine (n=8) or myogenous facial pain (n=2). The MPQ was administered in the first session, while no task was to be performed during the second session. Differences were calculated using statistical parametric mapping (SPM99), also taking the MPQ pain rating index (PRI) as covariance.During the MPQ session, clusters of activation were observed in the orbitofrontal cortex, the insula and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of the left brain, but not significantly so. Using the MPQ PRI as covariate, significant areas of activation were found in the left frontal lobe, the Brodmann area 32 and in the ACC. The description of pain seems to activate cortical areas similar to those involved in actual pain perception.

Individual Variation in Sleep Quality and Duration Is Related to Cerebral Mu Opioid Receptor Binding Potential during Tonic Laboratory Pain in Healthy Subjects

“…Imaging studies in pain populations including fibromyalgia [40], rheumatoid arthritis [41], and peripheral neuropathic pain [42] have found variation in BP of endogenous opioid peptides. Some of the areas of relationships between BP and sleep in the current analyses are similar to those found altered in functional imaging studies of persistent pain conditions [43–48]. However, opioid receptor BP is reduced in many pain conditions.…”

“…peptides. Some of the areas of relationships between BP and sleep in the current analyses are similar to those found altered in functional imaging studies of persistent pain conditions [43][44][45][46][47][48]. However, opioid receptor BP is reduced in many pain conditions.…”

Altered thalamic connectivity during spontaneous attacks of migraine without aura: A resting-state fMRI study

“…There is some evidence supporting a role of OFC in headache, but it is unlikely to be migraine specific. Increased activity in the OFC was reported in episodic migraine (outside of attacks) and acute myogenous facial pain patients (28). A PET study showed decreased glucose metabolism in OFC in episodic migraine patients who were efficiently treated with external trigeminal nerve stimulation (29).…”