Functional imaging studies of human subjects have identified a diverse assortment brain areas that are engaged in the processing pain. Although many these highly interconnected and multiple roles, each area has been typically considered isolation. Accordingly, little attention given to global functional organization mechanisms mediating pain processing. In present investigation, we combined positron emission tomography with psychophysical assessment graded painful stimuli better characterize...

Our subjective sensory experiences are thought to be heavily shaped by interactions between expectations and incoming information. However, the neural mechanisms supporting these remain poorly understood. By using combined psychophysical functional MRI techniques, brain activation related intensity of expected pain experienced was characterized. As magnitude increased, increased in thalamus, insula, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) other regions. Pain-intensity-related...

The subjective experience of one's environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes enabling a nonevaluative representation sensory events. To better understand how influences the experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging assess neural mechanisms which mindfulness pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d training, meditating presence...

Some individuals claim that they are very sensitive to pain, whereas others say tolerate pain well. Yet, it is difficult determine whether such subjective reports reflect true interindividual experiential differences. Using psychophysical ratings define sensitivity and functional magnetic resonance imaging assess brain activity, we found highly exhibited more frequent robust pain-induced activation of the primary somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate prefrontal cortex than did insensitive...

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine analgesic of are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d following: (1) meditation, (2) (3) sham or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using...

Subjective sensory experiences are constructed by the integration of afferent information with about uniquely personal internal cognitive state. The insular cortex is anatomically positioned to serve as one potential interface between processing mechanisms and more cognitively oriented modulatory systems. However, role in such processes remains poorly understood. Two individuals extensive lesions insula were examined better understand contribution this brain region generation subjective...

The oxygen-15 water bolus positron emission tomography (PET) method was used to image regional brain activity in 4 patients with chronic post-traumatic neuropathic pain confined one lower limb and 1 patient post-herpetic neuralgia. In comparison 13 normal subjects, scans of the disclosed a statistically significant decrease thalamic contralateral symptomatic side. Examination right/left ratio for all subjects showed that values fell at extremes range, according side affected body part. These...

Processing of both painful and nonpainful somatosensory information is generally thought to be subserved by brain regions predominantly contralateral the stimulated body region. However, lesions right, but not left, posterior parietal cortex have been reported produce a unilateral tactile neglect syndrome, suggesting that components are preferentially processed in right half brain. To better characterize hemispheric lateralization processing, H 2 15 O positron emission tomography (PET)...

Background The study aimed to determine predictive factors for postcesarean pain and analgesia using an assessment of threshold suprathreshold thermal stimuli as well degree somatization anxiety. Methods Thirty-four healthy parturients scheduled cesarean delivery under subarachnoid anesthesia were enrolled. Preoperative threshold, intensity, unpleasantness heat applied arm lower back, State Trait Anxiety Inventory, patient expectation postoperative need assessed. After surgery, overall,...

The reproducibility of both the conscious experience pain and psychophysical assessments remain critical, yet poorly characterized factors in research treatment. To assess two methods assessment, 15 subjects evaluated experimental heat during four weekly sessions. In each session, brief (5 s) prolonged (90 stimuli were utilized to determine effects stimulus duration on reproducibility. Multiple presentations session used evaluate response averaging. Both visual analog scales (VAS) randomized...

Anxiety is the cognitive state related to inability control emotional responses perceived threats. inversely brain activity associated with regulation of emotions. Mindfulness meditation has been found regulate anxiety. However, mechanisms involved in meditation-related anxiety relief are largely unknown. We employed pulsed arterial spin labeling MRI compare effects distraction form attending breath (ATB; before training) mindfulness (after on across same subjects. Fifteen healthy subjects,...

Individual differences in pain sensitivity have long remained a perplexing and challenging clinical problem. How can one individual sensory experience that is vastly different than of another, even when they received similar input? Developing an understanding such the mechanisms support them has progressed substantially as psychophysical findings are integrated with measures brain activation provided by functional imaging techniques. Continued delineation these will contribute to development...

Journal Article Distinct patterns of brain activity evoked by histamine‐induced itch reveal an association with intensity and disease severity in atopic dermatitis Get access Y. Ishiuji, Ishiuji Department DermatologyDepartment Dermatology, The Jikei University School Medicine, Tokyo, Japan Search for other works this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar R.C. Coghill, Coghill Neurobiology & Anatomy Neuroscience Center T.S. Patel, Patel Dermatology Oshiro, Oshiro R.A. Kraft, Kraft...

Cerebral cortical activity is heavily influenced by interactions with the basal ganglia. These occur via cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops. The putamen one of major sites input into ganglia loops and frequently activated during pain. This has been typically associated processing pain-related motor responses. However, potential contribution to sensory aspects pain remains poorly characterized. In order more directly determine if can contribute pain, nine individuals lesions...

Pain is a highly personal experience that varies substantially among individuals. In search of an anatomical correlate pain sensitivity, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate the relationship between grey matter density across whole brain and interindividual differences in sensitivity 116 healthy volunteers (62 women, 54 men). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) psychophysical data from 10 previous functional MRI studies were used. Age, sex, unpleasantness ratings, scanner...

Anecdotal evidence suggests that 'contagious' itch occurs in daily life when we see other people and scratch. This phenomenon has not previously been studied systematically, factors which can amplify perception were unknown.We investigated whether exposure to visual cues of induce or intensify healthy subjects patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).Participants received histamine a saline control delivered the forearm asked watch short video clips scratching. Spontaneous scratching induced by...

Previous brain imaging studies investigating the processing of scratching used an exogenous intervention mimicking scratching, performed not by subjects themselves, but delivered investigator. In real life, is a conscious, voluntary, controlled motor response to itching, which directed perceived site distress. this study we aimed visualize in real-time core mechanisms itch-scratch cycle when was themselves. Secondly, assess correlations between patterns activation and psychophysical ratings...

Mindfulness meditation, a cognitive practice premised on sustaining nonjudgmental awareness of arising sensory events, reliably attenuates pain. meditation activates multiple brain regions that contain high expression opioid receptors. However, it is unknown whether mindfulness-meditation-based analgesia mediated by endogenous opioids. The present double-blind, randomized study examined behavioral pain responses in healthy human volunteers during mindfulness and nonmanipulation control...

The role of endogenous analgesic mechanisms has largely been viewed in the context gain modulation during nociceptive processing. However, these may play critical roles extraction and subsequent utilization information related to spatial temporal features input. To date, it remains unknown if filtering is supported by similar mechanisms. address this question, human volunteers were recruited assess brain activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging conditioned pain (CPM) offset...

Pruritus of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a multifactorial symptom complex etiology not yet fully understood. In this study we have investigated the cerebral perfusion patterns at rest in ESRD patients on hemodialysis, compared with those healthy volunteers. We also studied brain responses evoked by experimental itch induction ESRD, after stimulating two distinct histamine and cowhage pathways, them To identify potential structural alterations group age-matched volunteers, calculated...