Microstructural alterations in medial forebrain bundle are associated with interindividual pain sensitivity. Issue 4 (10th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Geisler, Maria; Rizzoni, Elizabeth; Makris, Nikolaos; Pasternak, Ofer; Rathi, Yogesh; Bouix, Sylvain; Herbsleb, Marco; Bär, Karl‐Jürgen; Weiss, Thomas; Kikinis, Zora
• Is Part Of: Human brain mapping. Volume 42:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 1130
• Page End: 1137
• Publication Date: 2020-11-10
• Subjects: diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) -- endogenous pain modulation -- fractional anisotropy (FA); Brain mapping -- Periodicals; 611.81
• DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25281
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1065-9471

Abstract

Abstract: The perception of pain to noxious stimuli, also known as pain sensitivity, varies among individuals. The comprised brain structures and their white matter pathways are complex and elusive. Here, we aimed to investigate whether variation of microstructure of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), a tract connecting the basal forebrain with the brain stem, is associated with interindividual pain sensitivity. We assessed interindividual pain sensitivity as a rating of pain intensity to heat stimuli (45, 47, and 48.9°C) in 38 healthy men (age: 27.05 ± 5.7 years). We also reconstructed the MFB using multitensor tractography from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and calculated free‐water corrected dMRI measures of fractional anisotropy (FAt ), radial diffusivity (RDt ), and axial diffusivity (ADt ). Lower ratings of interindividual pain intensity correlated with higher FAt and lower RDt of the MFB. As changes in FAt and RDt may reflect abnormalities in myelination, the results might be interpreted as that a lower pain rating is associated with higher degree of myelination of the MFB and could represent an inhibitory pathway of pain. Our results suggest that alteration of microstructure in the MFB contributes to the interindividual variation of pain perception. Abstract : We aimed to investigate whether variation of microstructure of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) is associated with interindividual pain sensitivity, by assessing interindividual pain sensitivity as a rating of pain intensity to heat stimuli and reconstructing the MFB using multitensor tractography from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) in 38 healthy men. Lower ratings of interindividual pain intensity correlated with higher fractional anisotropy (FAt ) and lower radial diffusivity (RDt ) of the MFB. As changes in FAt and RDt may reflect abnormalities in myelination, the results might be interpreted as that a lower pain rating is associated with higher degree of myelination of the MFB and could represent an inhibitory pathway of pain.