title: Individual and sex-related differences in pain and relief responsiveness are associated with differences in resting-state functional networks in healthy volunteers.
abstract: Pain processing is associated with neural activity in a number of widespread brain regions. Here, we investigated whether functional connectivity at rest between these brain regions is associated with individual and sex-related differences in thermal pain and relief responsiveness. Twenty healthy volunteers (ten females) were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging in resting conditions. Half an hour after scanning, we administered thermal pain on the back of their right hand and collected pain and relief ratings in two separate runs of twelve stimuli each. Across the whole group, mean pain ratings were associated with decreased connectivity at rest between brain regions belonging to the default mode and the visual resting-state network. In men, pain measures correlated with increased connectivity within the visual resting-state network. In women, in contrast, decreased connectivity between this network and parietal and prefrontal brain regions implicated in affective cognitive control were associated with both pain and relief ratings. Our findings indicate that the well documented individual variability and sex differences in pain sensitivity may be explained, at least in part, by network dynamics at rest in these brain regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, London, UK.|Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.|Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santarnecchi
authors.affiliation: Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.|School of Psychology, Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feurra
authors.affiliation: Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonifazi
authors.affiliation: Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA.|Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.affiliation: Neurologia e Neurofisiologia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Neurosensoriali Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-Bin Lab), Siena, Italy.|Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Neuroscienze, Università di Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: default mode network; fMRI; functional cerebral connectivity; gender