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Brain Sciences
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New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging
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New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Motor Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2025 | Viewed by 9276

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Patrick W. Stroman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
2. Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
3. Department of Physics, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Interests: neuroimaging; functional MRI; pain; methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic pain presents many challenges for research. Pain is highly individual and assessments of pain based on self-reports are subjective. In addition, pain is strongly influenced by emotional, cognitive, and health factors. Regions of the central nervous system that are involved with nociception and pain are inaccessible in human research participants except by means of neuroimaging. In recent years, neuroimaging methods have provided important new insights into the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology involved with nociceptive processing and pain perception in both healthy populations and in patients with chronic pain conditions. The studies to date span across the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord and have demonstrated effects such as placebo analgesia, the temporal summation of pain, and the modulation of pain in relation to mood, attention focus, listening to music, and cognitive tasks. Altered neural processes have also been identified in relation to altered pain sensitivity in chronic pain conditions and disease states. These results have provided new insights into individual differences in pain responses, factors that influence descending pain regulation, and how the state of pain sensitivity is modulated on a continual basis. The goal of this Research Topic is to compile novel and innovative neuroimaging studies, in humans or in animals, that further advance our understanding of altered neural processes related to chronic pain conditions.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Studies that aim to identify the neural basis of a chronic pain condition;
  • Identifying altered neural responses or connectivity between regions in relation to aberrant pain or nociception;
  • Anatomical studies that focus on regions contributing to aspects of pain or its regulation;
  • Development of neuroimaging research methods to advance the study of pain;
  • Advances in our understanding of neural processes underlying normal healthy pain processes for future comparison with patient populations;
  • Reviews of prior neuroimaging studies that provide new insights into our understanding of chronic pain.

Prof. Dr. Patrick W. Stroman
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pain
  • nociception
  • neuroimaging
  • fMRI
  • PET
  • SPECT
  • anatomy
  • function

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1329 KiB  
Article
Delayed Recovery After Exercise-Induced Pain in People with Chronic Widespread Muscle Pain Related to Cortical Connectivity
by Mark D. Bishop, Meryl J. Alappattu, Priyanka Rana, Roland Staud, Jeff Boissoneault, Shelby Blaes, Yonah Joffe and Michael E. Robinson
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1102; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14111102 - 30 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
Background/Objectives: There is a subset of patients with pain who become worse after exercise. To explore this, we examined the responses of people with chronic primary pain to a standardized high intensity exercise protocol used to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Methods: [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: There is a subset of patients with pain who become worse after exercise. To explore this, we examined the responses of people with chronic primary pain to a standardized high intensity exercise protocol used to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Methods: Ten participants with a diagnosis of chronic widespread muscle pain (CWMP) were matched by age and reported gender to ten participants without muscle pain (i.e., no pain (NP)). Participants completed a standardized DOMS protocol. Pain intensity in the arm at rest and with movement was assessed using daily electronic diaries. Peak pain, the timing of peak pain, and the time to recovery were compared between groups. Associations of pain variables with the functional connectivity of the sensorimotor (SMN), cerebellum, frontoparietal control (FPN), and default mode network (DMN) both within network nodes and the rest of the brain was assessed. Results: Significant differences in peak pain, the time to peak pain, and the time to recovery were noted between groups for both pain at rest and pain with movement after controlling for catastrophizing and pain resilience. Connectivity across the SMN, FPN, and DMN was associated with all pain-related variables. Significant group differences were identified between groups. Conclusions: A standardized muscle “injury” protocol resulted in more pain, a longer time to peak pain, and a longer time to resolve pain in the patient group compared to the NP group. These differences were associated with differences in connectivity across brain regions related to sensorimotor integration and appraisal. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the dysregulation of responses to muscle (micro)trauma in people with chronic pain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging)
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15 pages, 849 KiB  
Article
Impact of Experimentally Induced Pain on Logical Reasoning and Underlying Attention-Related Psychophysiological Mechanisms
by Danièle Anne Gubler, Rahel Lea Zubler and Stefan Johannes Troche
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14111061 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Background. Pain is known to negatively impact attention, but its influence on more complex cognitive abilities, such as logical reasoning, remains inconsistent. This may be due to compensatory mechanisms (e.g., investing additional resources), which might not be detectable at the behavioral level but [...] Read more.
Background. Pain is known to negatively impact attention, but its influence on more complex cognitive abilities, such as logical reasoning, remains inconsistent. This may be due to compensatory mechanisms (e.g., investing additional resources), which might not be detectable at the behavioral level but can be observed through psychophysiological measures. In this study, we investigated whether experimentally induced pain affects logical reasoning and underlying attentional mechanisms, using both behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures. Methods. A total of 98 female participants were divided into a pain-free control group (N = 47) and a pain group (N = 51). Both groups completed the Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) task, with EEG recordings capturing task-related power (TRP) changes in the upper alpha frequency band (10–12 Hz). We used a mixed design where all participants completed half of the APM task in a pain-free state (control condition); the second half was completed under pain induction by the pain group but not the pain-free group (experimental condition). Results. Logical reasoning performance, as measured by APM scores and response times, declined during the experimental condition, compared to the control condition for both groups, indicating that the second part of the APM was more difficult than the first part. However, no significant differences were found between the pain and pain-free groups, suggesting that pain did not impair cognitive performance at the behavioral level. In contrast, EEG measures revealed significant differences in upper alpha band power, particularly at fronto-central sites. In the pain group, the decrease in TRP during the experimental condition was significantly smaller compared to both the control condition and the pain-free group. Conclusions. Pain did not impair task performance at the behavioral level but reduced attentional resources, as reflected by changes in upper alpha band activity. This underscores the importance of incorporating more sensitive psychophysiological measures alongside behavioral measures to better understand the impact of pain on cognitive processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging)
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13 pages, 1752 KiB  
Article
Selective Activation of the Spinal Cord with Epidural Electrical Stimulation
by Carlos Cuellar, Lauri Lehto, Riaz Islam, Silvia Mangia, Shalom Michaeli and Igor Lavrov
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(7), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14070650 - 27 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4799
Abstract
Spinal cord epidural electrical stimulation (EES) has been successfully employed to treat chronic pain and to restore lost functions after spinal cord injury. Yet, the efficacy of this approach is largely challenged by the suboptimal spatial distribution of the electrode contacts across anatomical [...] Read more.
Spinal cord epidural electrical stimulation (EES) has been successfully employed to treat chronic pain and to restore lost functions after spinal cord injury. Yet, the efficacy of this approach is largely challenged by the suboptimal spatial distribution of the electrode contacts across anatomical targets, limiting the spatial selectivity of stimulation. In this study, we exploited different ESS paradigms, designed as either Spatial-Selective Stimulation (SSES) or Orientation-Selective Epidural Stimulation (OSES), and compared them to Conventional Monopolar Epidural Stimulation (CMES). SSES, OSES, and CMES were delivered with a 3- or 4-contact electrode array. Amplitudes and latencies of the Spinally Evoked Motor Potentials (SEMPs) were evaluated with different EES modalities. The results demonstrate that the amplitudes of SEMPs in hindlimb muscles depend on the orientation of the electrical field and vary between stimulation modalities. These findings show that the electric field applied with SSES or OSES provides more selective control of amplitudes of the SEMPs as compared to CMES. We demonstrate that spinal cord epidural stimulation applied with SSES or OSES paradigms in the rodent model could be tailored to the functional spinal cord neuroanatomy and can be tuned to specific target fibers and their orientation, optimizing the effect of neuromodulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging)
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13 pages, 2969 KiB  
Article
Investigating Descending Pain Regulation in Fibromyalgia and the Link to Altered Autonomic Regulation by Means of Functional MRI Data
by Shima Hassanpour, Hannan Algitami, Maya Umraw, Jessica Merletti, Brieana Keast and Patrick W. Stroman
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(5), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14050450 - 30 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pain condition that affects a significant portion of the population; yet, this condition is still poorly understood. Prior research has suggested that individuals with FM display a heightened sensitivity to pain and signs of autonomic dysfunction. Recent [...] Read more.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pain condition that affects a significant portion of the population; yet, this condition is still poorly understood. Prior research has suggested that individuals with FM display a heightened sensitivity to pain and signs of autonomic dysfunction. Recent advances in functional MRI analysis methods to model blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) responses across networks of regions, and structural and physiological modeling (SAPM) have shown the potential to provide more detailed information about altered neural activity than was previously possible. Therefore, this study aimed to apply novel analysis methods to investigate altered neural processes underlying pain sensitivity in FM in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the brainstem and spinal cord. Prior fMRI studies have shown evidence of functional differences in fibromyalgia (FM) within brain regions associated with pain’s motivational aspects, as well as differences in neural activity related to pain regulation, arousal, and autonomic homeostatic regulation within the brainstem and spinal cord regions. We, therefore, hypothesized that nociceptive processing is altered in FM compared to healthy controls (HCs) in the brainstem and spinal cord areas linked to autonomic function and descending pain regulation, including the parabrachial nuclei (PBN) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). We expected that new details of this altered neural signaling would be revealed with SAPM. The results provide new evidence of altered neural signaling in FM related to arousal and autonomic homeostatic regulation. This further advances our understanding of the altered neural processing that occurs in women with FM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives in Chronic Pain Research: Focus on Neuroimaging)
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