Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
12:00
Electrode Positioning and Montage in Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Published on: May 23, 2011
266.1K
Motor Cortex Stimulation for Pain Relief: Do Corollary Discharges Play a Role?
1Laboratory of Neurosciences and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, Universidade de Brasília Brasília, Brazil.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|July 23, 2016
Summary
Motor cortex stimulation may treat chronic pain by reinforcing corollary discharges, addressing sensory feedback issues. The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be a target for neuropathic pain treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Management
- Neuromodulation
Background:
- Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is used for chronic pain, but its mechanism is unclear.
- Central pain may arise from a mismatch between motor intention and sensory feedback.
- Corollary discharges from the motor cortex are a potential factor in sensory feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on the role of motor cortex corollary discharges in chronic pain pathophysiology.
- To explore the role of corollary discharges in the response to motor cortex stimulation.
- To propose the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as a neuromodulation target for neuropathic pain.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on motor cortex stimulation and chronic pain.
- Analysis of the proposed mechanisms of action for motor cortex stimulation.
- Discussion of the role of corollary discharges in pain perception.
Main Results:
- Motor cortex stimulation may work by reinforcing corollary discharges to correct sensory feedback deficits.
- Deficient corollary discharge production by the motor cortex could be a cause of pain, treatable by stimulation.
- The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPC) is implicated in monitoring sensory incongruity.
Conclusions:
- Corollary discharges play a potential role in the pathophysiology and treatment response of chronic pain.
- Enhancing corollary discharge production via motor cortex stimulation may alleviate pain.
- The right DLPC presents a promising target for non-invasive neuromodulation in chronic neuropathic pain.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Pain
1.7K
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
1.7K
01:20Motor Unit Stimulation
4.5K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
4.5K