title: Intrinsic functional connectivity of periaqueductal gray subregions in humans.
abstract: The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) is a key brain region of the descending pain modulation pathway. It is also involved in cardiovascular functions, anxiety, and fear; however, little is known about PAG subdivisions in humans. The aims of this study were to use resting-state fMRI-based functional connectivity (FC) to parcellate the human PAG and to determine FC of its subregions. To do this, we acquired resting-state fMRI scans from 79 healthy subjects and (1) used a data-driven method to parcellate the PAG, (2) used predefined seeds in PAG subregions to evaluate PAG FC to the whole brain, and (3) examined sex differences in PAG FC. We found that clustering of the left and right PAG yielded similar patterns of caudal, middle, and rostral subdivisions in the coronal plane, and dorsal and ventral subdivisions in the sagittal plane. FC analysis of predefined subregions revealed that the ventolateral(VL)-PAG was supfunctionally connected to brain regions associated with descending pain modulation (anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), upper pons/medulla), whereas the lateral (L) and dorsolateral (DL) subregions were connected with brain regions implicated in executive functions (prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus). We also found sex differences in FC including areas implicated in pain, salience, and analgesia including the ACC and the insula in women, and the MCC, parahippocampal gyrus, and the temporal pole in men. The organization of the human PAG thus provides a framework to understand the circuitry underlying the broad range of responses to pain and its modulation in men and women.
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain, Imaging & Behaviour Systems, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Andree
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coulombe
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain, Imaging & Behaviour Systems, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erpelding
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain, Imaging & Behaviour Systems, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kucyi
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain, Imaging & Behaviour Systems, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen Deborah
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PAG; descending pain modulation; fMRI; pain; parcellation; resting-state fMRI
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