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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
09:16
Multi-Modal Signals for Analyzing Pain Responses to Thermal and Electrical Stimuli
Published on: April 5, 2019
The cerebral signature for pain perception and its modulation
Irene Tracey1, Patrick W Mantyh
1Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Clinical Neurology and Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, Oxford University, OX3 9DU Oxford, England, UK. irene@fmrib.ox.ac.uk
Neuron
|August 7, 2007
Summary
Neuroimaging reveals how factors like cognition and emotion influence pain perception. The brainstem
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Neuroimaging advances have significantly improved understanding of human pain perception.
- Pain perception is influenced by various factors including cognition, emotion, context, and injury.
- Integrating human and animal pain research can identify common pain modulation mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the neural correlates of pain perception and modulation in humans.
- To investigate the role of the brainstem's descending modulatory network in pain.
- To bridge findings from human neuroimaging with animal pain models.
Main Methods:
- Review of neuroimaging studies on human pain perception.
- Analysis of data from animal models of pain.
- Examination of the brainstem's role in descending pain modulation.
Main Results:
- Neuroimaging data show distinct cerebral signatures for pain and its modulation.
- Cognitive and emotional factors significantly influence pain perception.
- The brainstem's descending modulatory pathways are crucial for regulating pain intensity.
Conclusions:
- The brainstem plays a pivotal role in gating nociceptive transmission.
- Pain experience is dynamically adjusted by the brainstem to suit situational context.
- A comprehensive understanding requires integrating human and animal pain research findings.
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