Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

A better understanding of the cortical processes underlying attentional modulation of visceral and somatic pain in health are essential for interpretation of future imaging studies of hypervigilance towards bodily sensations which is considered to be an aetiologically important factor in the heightened pain reported by patients with irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Twelve healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Simultaneous trains of electrical pulses (delivered to either the rectum or lower abdomen) and auditory tones lasting 6 s were delivered to the subjects during a whole-brain functional scan acquisition. Subjects were instructed to attend to the auditory tones (distracter task) or electrical pulses (pain task). Pain intensity ratings were significantly lower during the distraction task compared with the pain task (P < 0.01) in both sensory modalities. The left primary somatosensory cortex increased in activity with increasing pain report, during attention to visceral pain. Bilateral anterior insula (aIns) cortex activity increased with increasing somatic pain report independent of the direction of attention. Conversely, the primary and secondary auditory cortices significantly increased in activation with decreased pain report. These results suggest that pain intensity perception during attentional modulation is reflected in the primary somatosensory cortex (visceral pain) and aIns cortex activity (somatic pain).

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2982.2007.00908.x

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neurogastroenterol Motil

Publication Date

07/2007

Volume

19

Pages

569 - 577

Keywords

Acoustic Stimulation, Adult, Anxiety, Attention, Electric Stimulation, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pain Threshold, Psychophysics, Rectum, Somatosensory Cortex, Visceral Afferents