title: Modulation of pain perception by transcranial magnetic stimulation of left prefrontal cortex.
abstract: Evidence by functional imaging studies suggests the role of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the inhibitory control of nociceptive transmission system. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is able to modulate pain response to capsaicin. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of DLPFC activation (through rTMS) on nociceptive control in a model of capsaicin-induced pain. The study was performed on healthy subjects that underwent capsaicin application on right or left hand. Subjects judged the pain induced by capsaicin through a 0-100 VAS scale before and after 5 Hz rTMS over left and right DLPFC at 10 or 20 min after capsaicin application in two separate groups (8 subjects each). Left DLPFC-rTMS delivered either at 10 and 20 min after capsaicin application significantly decreased spontaneous pain in both hands. Right DLPFC rTMS showed no significant effect on pain measures. According to these results, stimulation of left DLPFC seems able to exert a bilateral control on pain system, supporting the critical antinociceptive role of such area. This could open new perspectives to non-invasive brain stimulation protocols of alternative target area for pain treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dip di Biomedicine Sperimentali e Neuroscienze Cliniche (BioNeC), University of Palermo, Via G. La Loggia, 1, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brighina
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Tommaso
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giglia
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scalia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puma
authors.forename: Maristella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panetta
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giglia
authors.forename: Brigida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fierro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002211:Capsaicin