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Individual differences in heterotopic noxious analgesia (DNIC), an fMRI study of possible mechanisms.

Alessandro Viganò1, Vladimir Bogdanov1, Quentin Noirhomme2, Nathalie Guy3, Radhouane Dallel4, Steven Laureys2, Christophe Phillips5 and Jean Schoenen1*
  • 1 ULg, Neurology & GIGA Neurosciences, Belgium
  • 2 Coma Science Group, Belgium
  • 3 University d'Auvergne., Neurology, France
  • 4 Université d'Auvergne, U929. Neurobiologie de la Douleur Trigéminale et Céphalique., France
  • 5 Cyclotron Research Center, Belgium

Background
Pain responses can be suppressed by heterotopic continuous noxious conditioning, e.g. continuous noxious cold stimulation. These diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) may be abnormal in migraine. DNIC effects are modulated by a number of prefrontal cortical areas.

Objective & methods
We examined in healthy volunteers blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses in prefrontal cortex to repeated continuous noxious cold stimulation. The relationships between those responses and degree of inhibition of laser-induced pain during heterotopic cold stimulation were analyzed.

Results
Our results show that cold-induced BOLD response in anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal and lateral prefrontal cortices predict cold-induced heterotopic analgesia and attenuation of cerebral BOLD responses to laser stimulation. Prefrontal responses to the onset of cold stimulation were strongly related to the subsequent DNIC effect.

Conclusion
We conclude that early responses to noxious conditioning are important for prediction of the analgesic DNIC effect. We hypothesize that this predictive effect of frontal cortices may be abnormal in chronic migraine.

Keywords: DNIC, fMRI BOLD, heterotopic noxious analgesia, Prefrontal Cortex, prediction

Conference: Belgian Brain Council, Liège, Belgium, 27 Oct - 27 Oct, 2012.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Other basic/clinical neurosciences topic

Citation: Viganò A, Bogdanov V, Noirhomme Q, Guy N, Dallel R, Laureys S, Phillips C and Schoenen J (2012). Individual differences in heterotopic noxious analgesia (DNIC), an fMRI study of possible mechanisms.. Conference Abstract: Belgian Brain Council. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.210.00123

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Received: 10 Aug 2012; Published Online: 12 Sep 2012.

* Correspondence: Prof. Jean Schoenen, ULg, Neurology & GIGA Neurosciences, LIEGE, 4000, Belgium, jschoenen@ulg.ac.be