title: In vivo distribution of opioid receptors in man in relation to the cortical projections of the medial and lateral pain systems measured with positron emission tomography.
abstract: In vivo opioid receptor binding in the cortical projections of the medial (cingulate and prefrontal cortex) and lateral pain system (primary somatosensory cortex) in male volunteers has been quantitated using [11C]diprenorphine and positron emission tomography. High levels of opioid receptor binding were seen in the cortical projections of the medial pain system in the cingulate and prefrontal cortex as has previously been observed in post-mortem studies. However, a focal reduction of opioid receptor binding was observed and quantitated in the primary motor/sensory strip when compared to surrounding parietal cortex. This new finding suggests that the medial pain system is likely to be more susceptible to exogenous and endogenous opioid neuromodulation than the so-called lateral pain system.
authors.affiliation: MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujirawa
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Luthra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashburner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004174:Diprenorphine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D004174:Diprenorphine