Discriminating neural representations of physical and social pains: how multivariate statistics challenge the "shared representation" theory of pain

A Rogachov; J C Cheng; D D DeSouza

doi:10.1152/jn.00075.2015

Discriminating neural representations of physical and social pains: how multivariate statistics challenge the "shared representation" theory of pain

J Neurophysiol. 2015 Nov;114(5):2558-60. doi: 10.1152/jn.00075.2015. Epub 2015 Mar 18.

Authors

A Rogachov¹, J C Cheng², D D DeSouza²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour-Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada anton.rogachov@mail.utoronto.ca.
² Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour-Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Overlapping functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity elicited by physical pain and social rejection has posited a common neural representation between the two experiences. However, Woo and colleagues (Nat Commun 5: 5380, 2014) recently used multivariate statistics to challenge the "shared representation" theory of pain. This study has implications in the way results from fMRI studies are interpreted and has the potential of broadening our understanding of different pain states and future development of personalized medicine.

Keywords: fMRI; multivariate statistics; pain; social rejection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Comment

MeSH terms

Brain
Brain Mapping
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Pain*