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Neural variability reliably encodes interindividual differences in the perception of pain intensity
Li-Bo Zhang1,2,3, Xin-Yi Geng1,2, Li Hu1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Plos Biology
|October 27, 2025
Summary
Neural variability, or brain signal fluctuations, strongly correlates with how well individuals distinguish pain intensity. This finding highlights neural variability as a key indicator for pain perception differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Neural activity exhibits significant temporal variability, which is linked to cognitive functions.
- The relationship between neural variability and pain perception, especially individual differences, is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between neural variability and individual differences in pain intensity discriminability.
- To determine if neural variability is a reliable indicator of pain perception.
Main Methods:
- Utilized six large electroencephalography (EEG) datasets comprising healthy volunteers and patients with postherpetic neuralgia.
- Analyzed EEG data from participants receiving painful and non-painful sensory stimuli.
- Examined correlations between neural variability and interindividual pain intensity discriminability across different modalities.
Main Results:
- Found significant and replicable correlations between neural variability and pain intensity discriminability across multiple datasets.
- Observed that these correlations were specific to pain modalities, not general sensory factors.
- Demonstrated that neural variability and EEG response amplitude are independent, with distinct temporal and oscillatory characteristics in encoding pain.
Conclusions:
- Neural variability is a robust and potentially preferential biomarker for individual differences in pain intensity discriminability.
- These findings advance the understanding of neural mechanisms underlying pain perception.
- Highlight the importance of considering neural variability in pain research.
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