Brain Imaging and Pain: Analysis of Placebo Analgesia

描述(申请人提供)：在这项竞争性更新申请中，我们建议扩展我们对通过安慰剂止痛调节内源性疼痛的潜在机制的研究。具体地说，我们的目标是研究与处理疼痛相关信息的不同方面相关的神经网络的时间特性。之前的资金使我们能够开发和完善生态上有效的技术和脑成像方案，这些技术和方案通常用于研究无症状和临床人群的疼痛。通过这些工具，我们已经证明了在疼痛和安慰剂止痛条件下，一般认知/情感网络中的大脑区域具有不同的交互特征。在这项建议中，我们将改进这些技术，以改进与处理疼痛相关信息的特定方面相关的大脑区域(即神经网络)的识别，以及如何随着时间的推移处理这些信息(即，对条件内和条件之间以及不同神经网络之间的信息处理的时间特征进行建模)。这项提案的三个具体目标将使我们能够实现这些目标。在目标1中，我们将使用行为、心理物理和功能磁共振数据区分主要与传入疼痛处理相关的神经网络和认知-情感疼痛调制。对于目标2，我们将详细介绍组成神经网络的大脑区域，这些神经网络涉及疼痛和疼痛调制的特定方面(例如，焦虑和期望)。一旦确定了神经网络，在目标3中，我们将描述这些网络在处理条件内和条件之间的信息时的时间特征和相互作用。Aim 3的结果将有助于澄清和解释伴随行为疼痛评级变化的神经网络变化。这些目标需要将心理、心理物理、结构和功能磁共振数据与高级统计分析相结合，我们在所有这些方面都有丰富的经验和专业知识，因此对这个项目的成功充满信心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this competitive renewal application, we propose to extend our research on the underlying mechanisms of endogenous pain modulation via placebo analgesia. Specifically, we aim to investigate the temporal characteristics of the neural networks associated with processing different aspects of pain related information. Previous funding allowed us to develop and refine the ecologically valid techniques and brain imaging protocols routinely used to study pain in asymptomatic and clinical populations. With these tools, we have shown that the brain regions within a general cognitive/affective network have distinct interaction profiles in painful and placebo analgesic conditions. In this proposal, we will refine these techniques to improve the identification of brain regions (i.e., neural networks) associated with processing specific facets of pain related information, and how that information is processed over time (i.e., modeling the temporal characteristics of information processing within and between conditions, and across different neural networks). The three specific aims of this proposal will allow us to reach these goals. In Aim 1, we will differentiate the neural networks primarily associated with afferent pain processing from cognitive-affective pain modulation using behavioral, psychophysical, and fMRI data. For Aim 2, we will detail the brain regions that comprise the neural networks involved with specific facets of pain and pain modulation (e.g., anxiety and expectation). Once the neural networks have been identified, in Aim 3, we will describe the temporal characteristics and interactions of these networks as they process information within and between conditions. The results from Aim 3 will help clarify and account for the changes in neural networks that accompany changes in behavioral pain ratings. These aims require the combination of psychological, psychophysical, structural and functional MRI data and advanced statistical analyses, all of which we have extensive experience and expertise with, and thus are confident in the success of this project.