title: Measuring our natural painkiller.
abstract: Studies of the brain during noxious experience converge on the anterior cingulate cortex as a key region in the processing of pain. A recent exciting study extends this understanding to include the anterior cingulate as a center for endogenous opioid activation specific to negative pain affect.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. derbyshiresw@anes.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Stuart W G
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Derbyshire
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018847:Opioid Peptides; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu