Table 1 Cortical areas that are implicated in chronic pain conditions by human brain imaging fMRI that are difficult to be investigated by traditional animal pain models
From: Cortical plasticity as a new endpoint measurement for chronic pain
Cortical area | Clinical pain conditions | Major discovery |
|---|---|---|
ACC | Migraine/headache Phantom pain SCI induced pain Chronic back pain | Altered excitatory transmission Related to increased imaged activity Increased activity with imaged pain Increased activity |
IC | Migraine/headache Chronic back pain Hypothically induced pain | Altered excitatory transmission Increased imaged activity Increased imaged activity |
PFC | Migraine/headache Phantom pain SCI induced pain Chronic back pain Hypothically induced pain | Altered brain metabolism Related to increased imaged activity Increased activity with imaged pain Correlated with spontaneous pain; reduced gray matter density Increased imaged activity |
S1, S2 | Migraine/headache Phantom pain SCI induced pain | Altered sensory transmission Correlation of cortical reorganization Correlated with cortical reorganization |