Low-frequency BOLD fluctuations demonstrate altered thalamocortical connectivity in diabetic neuropathic pain

• Published in: BMC neuroscience Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 138
• Main Authors: Cauda, Franco, Sacco, Katiuscia, D'Agata, Federico, Duca, Sergio, Cocito, Dario, Geminiani, Giuliano, Migliorati, Filippo, Isoardo, Gianluca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 26.11.2009; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Age; Aged; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis of Variance; Animal Models; Autism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain Mapping; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Chronic pain; Diabetes; Diabetic neuropathies; Diabetic Neuropathies - physiopathology; Diagnosis; Female; Functional Laterality; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mental disorders; Middle Aged; Nerve Net - physiopathology; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Pain - physiopathology; Research Article; Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thalamus - physiopathology; Italy; Neuropathic Pain; Anterior Cingulated Cortex; Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent; Functional Connectivity; Default Mode Network
• ISSN: 1471-2202; 1471-2202
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-138

Background In this paper we explored thalamocortical functional connectivity in a group of eight patients suffering from peripheral neuropathic pain (diabetic pain), and compared it with that of a group of healthy subjects. We hypothesized that functional interconnections between the thalamus and cortex can be altered after years of ongoing chronic neuropathic pain. Results Functional connectivity was studied through a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm: temporal correlations between predefined regions of interest (primary somatosensory cortex, ventral posterior lateral thalamic nucleus, medial dorsal thalamic nucleus) and the rest of the brain were systematically investigated. The patient group showed decreased resting state functional connectivity between the thalamus and the cortex. Conclusion This supports the idea that chronic pain can alter thalamocortical connections causing a disruption of thalamic feedback, and the view of chronic pain as a thalamocortical dysrhythmia.