Neural oscillations and connectivity characterizing the state of tonic experimental pain in humans
Neural oscillations and connectivity characterizing the state of tonic experimental pain in humans
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DOI：
10.1002/hbm.24784
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发表时间：
2019-09-09
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Ploner, Markus
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nickel, Moritz M.;Son Ta Dinh;Ploner, Markus
疼痛是一种复杂的现象，由涉及不同大脑区域和频率的神经振荡和连通性服务。在这里，我们旨在系统和全面地评估人类强直性实验性疼痛状态的神经振荡和连接模式。为此，我们对39名健康参与者的左右手连续施加10分钟的热痛刺激，并记录脑电图。我们系统地分析了强直性疼痛期间大脑振荡活动、连通性和基于图论的网络测量的整体和局部测量，并将它们与非疼痛对照条件进行了比较。局部测量显示，在强直性疼痛期间，感觉运动区α和β频率的振荡活动受到抑制，同时α和β频率的连通性更强。此外，刺激对侧的感觉运动区域在α频率下与内侧前额叶皮层共同区域的连通性显著增加。总之，这些观察结果表明，强直性实验性疼痛的状态与以α频率连接的感觉运动-前额叶网络有关。这些发现向理解健康和疾病中长期疼痛状态的大脑机制又迈进了一步。
Pain is a complex phenomenon that is served by neural oscillations and connectivity involving different brain areas and frequencies. Here, we aimed to systematically and comprehensively assess the pattern of neural oscillations and connectivity characterizing the state of tonic experimental pain in humans. To this end, we applied 10-min heat pain stimuli consecutively to the right and left hand of 39 healthy participants and recorded electroencephalography. We systematically analyzed global and local measures of oscillatory brain activity, connectivity, and graph theory-based network measures during tonic pain and compared them to a nonpainful control condition. Local measures showed suppressions of oscillatory activity at alpha frequencies together with stronger connectivity at alpha and beta frequencies in sensorimotor areas during tonic pain. Furthermore, sensorimotor areas contralateral to stimulation showed significantly increased connectivity to a common area in the medial prefrontal cortex at alpha frequencies. Together, these observations indicate that the state of tonic experimental pain is associated with a sensorimotor-prefrontal network connected at alpha frequencies. These findings represent a step further toward understanding the brain mechanisms underlying long-lasting pain states in health and disease.