Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (May 2014)

BEYOND THE ‘PAIN MATRIX’, INTER-RUN SYNCHRONIZATION DURING MECHANICAL NOCICEPTIVE STIMULATION

  • Franco eCauda,
  • Franco eCauda,
  • Tommaso eCosta,
  • Tommaso eCosta,
  • Matteo eDiano,
  • Matteo eDiano,
  • Sergio eDuca,
  • Diana M.E. Torta,
  • Diana M.E. Torta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00265
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Pain is a complex experience that emerges from the activity multiple brain areas, some of which are inconsistently detected using traditional fMRI analysis. One hypothesis is that the traditional analysis of pain-related response, by relying on the correlation of a predictor convolved with the canonical hemodynamic response function (HRF)- the general linear model (GLM)- may under-detect the activity of those areas involved in stimulus processing that do not present a canonical HRF. In this study, we employed an innovative data-driven processing approach- an inter-run synchronization analysis- that has the advantage of not establishing any pre-determined predictor definition. With this method we were able to evidence the involvement of several brain regions that are not usually found when using predictor-based analysis. These areas are synchronized during painful stimulation and are characterized by a BOLD response that differs from the canonical HRF. This finding opens to new approaches in the study of pain imaging.

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