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The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 5, 2025

Back Mechanical Sensitivity Assessment in the Rat for Mechanistic Investigation of Chronic Back Pain
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Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex sensing analgesia.

Etsuro Ito1,2,3, Kotaro Oka4,2,3, Fusako Koshikawa5

  • 1Department of Biology, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.

Biophysics and Physicobiology
|July 7, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Complementary therapies like soft touch patches and mindfulness meditation may offer effective pain relief. These approaches appear to inactivate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key brain region involved in pain processing.

Keywords:
chronic paincomplementary and integrative treatmentmindfulnessnear-infrared spectroscopypyramidal thorn patch

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Management
  • Integrative Medicine

Background:

  • Chronic pain frequently lacks a clear cause, leading patients to accept its incurability and temporary relief from pharmacological treatments.
  • Complementary and integrative health approaches are increasingly sought for pain management due to limitations of conventional therapies.
  • Soft touch therapies, such as applying thorn patches, and mindfulness meditation are recognized integrative approaches for pain relief.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on complementary and integrative treatments for pain relief.
  • To outline key brain regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), involved in analgesia.
  • To provide insights for researchers developing non-pharmacological neurosensory pain treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on soft touch therapies and mindfulness meditation for pain relief.
  • Examination of neuroimaging findings, particularly near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), related to pain relief.
  • Analysis of brain region involvement, focusing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Main Results:

  • Soft touch therapies, like thorn patches, have demonstrated pain relief effects across various pain types.
  • Near-infrared spectroscopy studies suggest inactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), especially the left side, during patch-induced pain relief.
  • The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is implicated in pain relief associated with mindfulness meditation.

Conclusions:

  • Complementary therapies, including soft touch and mindfulness meditation, show promise for pain relief.
  • The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) appears to be a crucial brain region modulated by these non-pharmacological interventions.
  • Further research into neurosensory mechanisms can advance medication-free pain management strategies.