Functional brain activity during motor control and pain processing in chronic jaw pain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pain Research
• Motor Control

Background:

• Previous studies on chronic pain primarily used acute pain stimuli or resting-state brain assessments.
• Motor disability is common in chronic pain, yet brain activity during motor tasks in these individuals is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brain activity changes associated with chronic jaw pain during motor function and pain perception.
• To explore the utility of multivariate analyses in identifying brain regions affected by chronic pain.

Main Methods:

• Assessed brain activity in individuals with chronic jaw pain and healthy controls during a controlled grip force task and a controlled pain-eliciting stimulus on the forearm.
• Employed multivariate analyses to differentiate brain activity patterns between the groups.

Main Results:

• Distinct functional activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex, insula, and thalamus differentiated groups during the grip force task, despite similar motor performance.
• Differences in functional activity within the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, rostral ventral premotor cortex, and inferior parietal lobule were observed during pain stimulation, despite similar perceived intensity.

Conclusions:

• Chronic jaw pain is linked to altered brain processing of both motor and pain-related information, even when the affected area is not directly involved in the task.
• Motor tasks and advanced analytical techniques offer valuable approaches for understanding brain function in chronic pain.