Brain mechanisms of pain affect and pain modulation.
Recent animal studies reveal ascending nociceptive and descending modulatory pathways that may contribute to the affective-motivational aspects of pain and play a critical role in the modulation of pain. In humans, a reliable pattern of cerebral activity occurs during the subjective experience of pain. Activity within the anterior cingulate cortex and possibly in other classical limbic structures, appears to be closely related to the subjective experience of pain unpleasantness and may reflect the regulation of endogenous mechanisms of pain modulation.
Rainville
Pierre
P
Département de Stomatologie, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada. pierre.rainville@umontreal.ca
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004644:Emotions; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed