|
Scientists have discovered that the brain's
response to pain appears to follow a path similar to that
of the pleasure response. The findings could one day lead
to better treatments for people suffering chronic pain.
Using a brain scanning technique called
fMRI researchers monitored the brain's response to painful
stimuli in eight healthy male volunteers. Heat probes were
placed on the back of the men's hands.
During the first round of the experiment,
the probe was at a temperature that produced no pain. During
the second round, the probe was kept at 46 degrees Celsius
(114 degrees Fahrenheit) for 25 seconds -- enough heat to
generate pain.
The brain response generated by the two
different temperatures was different. And the
painful stimuli activated the brain's "reward" circuitry,
which has previously been shown to respond to drugs, pleasant
tastes and other pleasurable stimuli.
The findings provide insight into a circuitry
that may provide a basis for understanding 'suffering' as
a response to chronic pain. Chronic
pain affects 30% to 50% of the adult population in the US.
Our understanding of how pain is differentially
interpreted in the central nervous system of humans has been
significantly advanced with the ability to image neural pathways
or circuits involved in evaluating an experimental or clinical
painful stimulus.
Neuron
December 6, 2001;32:927-946
| 