Abstract
Skin pain and muscle pain are categorically distinct from each other. While skin pain is a sharp, spatially localized sensation, muscle pain is a dull, poorly localized and more unpleasant one. We hypothesized that there are specific brain regions preferentially activated by muscle pain compared to skin pain. To test this hypothesis, brain responses were recorded from 13 normal male subjects in response to repeated painful electrical stimulation of the muscle and skin of the left leg, using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The common brain regions that responded to painful stimulations of both skin and muscle were the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral insula, contralateral primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, and ipsilateral cerebellum. Brain regions specifically activated by muscle stimulation were the midbrain, bilateral amygdala, caudate, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampus and superior temporal pole, most of which are related to emotion. Regions except the midbrain showed contralateral preference. These results suggest that dull sensation, which is characteristic of muscular pain, is related with processing in these brain regions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 285-293 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Neuroscience Research |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- FMRI
- Muscle pain
- Skin pain
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
Painful muscle stimulation preferentially activates emotion-related brain regions compared to painful skin stimulation. / Takahashi, Ken; Taguchi, Toru; Tanaka, Satoshi; Sadato, Norihiro; Qiu, Yunhai; Kakigi, Ryusuke; Mizumura, Kazue.
In: Neuroscience Research, Vol. 70, No. 3, 07.2011, p. 285-293.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Painful muscle stimulation preferentially activates emotion-related brain regions compared to painful skin stimulation
AU - Takahashi, Ken
AU - Taguchi, Toru
AU - Tanaka, Satoshi
AU - Sadato, Norihiro
AU - Qiu, Yunhai
AU - Kakigi, Ryusuke
AU - Mizumura, Kazue
PY - 2011/7
Y1 - 2011/7
N2 - Skin pain and muscle pain are categorically distinct from each other. While skin pain is a sharp, spatially localized sensation, muscle pain is a dull, poorly localized and more unpleasant one. We hypothesized that there are specific brain regions preferentially activated by muscle pain compared to skin pain. To test this hypothesis, brain responses were recorded from 13 normal male subjects in response to repeated painful electrical stimulation of the muscle and skin of the left leg, using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The common brain regions that responded to painful stimulations of both skin and muscle were the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral insula, contralateral primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, and ipsilateral cerebellum. Brain regions specifically activated by muscle stimulation were the midbrain, bilateral amygdala, caudate, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampus and superior temporal pole, most of which are related to emotion. Regions except the midbrain showed contralateral preference. These results suggest that dull sensation, which is characteristic of muscular pain, is related with processing in these brain regions.
AB - Skin pain and muscle pain are categorically distinct from each other. While skin pain is a sharp, spatially localized sensation, muscle pain is a dull, poorly localized and more unpleasant one. We hypothesized that there are specific brain regions preferentially activated by muscle pain compared to skin pain. To test this hypothesis, brain responses were recorded from 13 normal male subjects in response to repeated painful electrical stimulation of the muscle and skin of the left leg, using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The common brain regions that responded to painful stimulations of both skin and muscle were the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral insula, contralateral primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, and ipsilateral cerebellum. Brain regions specifically activated by muscle stimulation were the midbrain, bilateral amygdala, caudate, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampus and superior temporal pole, most of which are related to emotion. Regions except the midbrain showed contralateral preference. These results suggest that dull sensation, which is characteristic of muscular pain, is related with processing in these brain regions.
KW - FMRI
KW - Muscle pain
KW - Skin pain
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79957621732&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.neures.2011.04.001
DO - 10.1016/j.neures.2011.04.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 21514332
AN - SCOPUS:79957621732
VL - 70
SP - 285
EP - 293
JO - Neuroscience Research
JF - Neuroscience Research
SN - 0168-0102
IS - 3
ER -