Functional connectivity of the frontoparietal network predicts cognitive modulation of pain.
The experience of pain can be significantly influenced by expectancy (predictive cues). This ability to modulate pain has the potential to affect therapeutic analgesia substantially and constitutes a foundation for nonpharmacological pain relief. In this study, we investigated (1) brain regions involved in visual cue modulation of pain during anticipation of pain, pain administration, and pain rating; and (2) the association between pretest resting state functional connectivity and the magnitude of cue effects on pain ratings. We found that after cue conditioning, visual cues can significantly modulate subjective pain ratings. Functional magnetic resonance imaging results suggested that brain regions pertaining to the frontoparietal network (prefrontal and parietal cortex) and a pain/emotion modulatory region (rostral anterior cingulate cortex) are involved in cue modulation during both pain anticipation and administration stage. Most interestingly, we found that pretest resting state functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network (as identified by independent component analysis) and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex was positively associated with cue effects on pain rating changes. We believe that these findings will shed new light on our understanding of variable cue/expectancy effects across individuals and how the intrinsic connectivity of the brain may influence expectancy-induced modulation of pain.
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, USA Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Jian
J
Kong
Karin
K
Jensen
Rita
R
Loiotile
Alexandra
A
Cheetham
Hsiao-Ying
HY
Wey
Ying
Y
Tan
Bruce
B
Rosen
Jordan W
JW
Smoller
Ted J
TJ
Kaptchuk
Randy L
RL
Gollub
D000328:Adult; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D059225:Nociception / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult