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Updated: May 7, 2026
02:26
Intracranial Pharmacotherapy and Pain Assays in Rodents
Published on: April 9, 2019
Where pain meets action in the human brain
Irene Perini1, Simon Bergstrand, India Morrison
1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, S-413 90, Gothenburg, Sweden, and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Skövde, S-541 28, Skövde, Sweden.
Summary
The human brain uses motor regions, including the caudal cingulate motor zone (CCZ), to translate pain into action. These areas activate during pain only when an action is performed, influencing reaction times.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Pain Research
Background:
- Pain perception is linked to behavioral responses, but the brain mechanisms translating pain into action are not fully understood.
- Motor and premotor regions, such as the midcingulate cortex (MCC), are activated during pain, suggesting a role in action execution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of motor-related brain regions in translating painful stimuli into adaptive behavioral actions.
- To differentiate brain activity related to pain processing from activity related to motor execution during painful stimulation.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe brain activity during a motor task performed under painful and nonpainful conditions.
- An activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted on existing studies involving pain, action execution, and action preparation.
Main Results:
- Motor-related areas, including the caudal cingulate motor zone (CCZ), motor cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum, showed activation during action execution irrespective of pain.
- These motor regions demonstrated pain-dependent activation only when an action was performed, not during passive pain stimulation.
- Reaction times were significantly faster during painful stimulation, correlating with CCZ activation.
- The bilateral insular cortex responded to pain regardless of whether an action was performed.
Conclusions:
- Specific motor-related brain areas, notably the CCZ, are crucial for controlling and executing context-specific behavioral responses to pain.
- The findings suggest a dynamic interplay between pain perception and motor control systems in the brain.
- The insular cortex processes pain stimuli independently of motor action execution.
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