A combined [11C]diprenorphine PET study and fMRI study of acupuncture analgesia.
Functional neuroimaging studies suggest that a lateral network in the brain is associated with the sensory aspects of pain perception while a medial network is associated with affective aspects. The highest concentration of opioid receptors is in the medial network. There is significant evidence that endogenous opioids are central to the experience of pain and analgesia. We applied an integrative multimodal imaging approach during acupuncture. We found functional magnetic resonance imaging signal changes in the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and pons and [11C]diprenorphine positron emission tomography signal changes in the orbitofrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, insula, thalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings include brain regions within both the lateral and medial pain networks.
Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, MA 02129, USA. ddougherty@partners.org
Darin D
DD
Dougherty
Jian
J
Kong
Megan
M
Webb
Ali A
AA
Bonab
Alan J
AJ
Fischman
Randy L
RL
Gollub
D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D004174:Diprenorphine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011149:Pons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D011859:Radiography; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004174:Diprenorphine