Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
  • SUBSCRIBE

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Neuroscience
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Neuroscience

Advanced Search

Submit a Manuscript
  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
  • SUBSCRIBE
PreviousNext
Brief Communications

Representation of Spatial Information in Key Areas of the Descending Pain Modulatory System

Christoph Ritter, Martin N. Hebart, Thomas Wolbers and Ulrike Bingel
Journal of Neuroscience 26 March 2014, 34 (13) 4634-4639; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4342-13.2014
Christoph Ritter
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany, and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Martin N. Hebart
2Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Thomas Wolbers
3German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ulrike Bingel
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany, and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Behavioral studies have demonstrated that descending pain modulation can be spatially specific, as is evident in placebo analgesia, which can be limited to the location at which pain relief is expected. This suggests that higher-order cortical structures of the descending pain modulatory system carry spatial information about the site of stimulation. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and multivariate pattern analysis in 15 healthy human volunteers to test whether spatial information of painful stimuli is represented in areas of the descending pain modulatory system. We show that the site of nociceptive stimulation (arm or leg) can be successfully decoded from local patterns of brain activity during the anticipation and receipt of painful stimulation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, and the contralateral parietal operculum. These results demonstrate that information regarding the site of nociceptive stimulation is represented in these brain regions. Attempts to predict arm and leg stimulation from the periaqueductal gray, control regions (e.g., white matter) or the control time interval in the intertrial phase did not allow for classifications above chance level. This finding represents an important conceptual advance in the understanding of endogenous pain control mechanisms by bridging the gap between previous behavioral and neuroimaging studies, suggesting a spatial specificity of endogenous pain control.

View Full Text
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of Neuroscience: 34 (13)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 34, Issue 13
26 Mar 2014
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Advertising (PDF)
  • Ed Board (PDF)
Email

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Neuroscience article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Representation of Spatial Information in Key Areas of the Descending Pain Modulatory System
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Neuroscience
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Neuroscience.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Print
View Full Page PDF
Citation Tools
Representation of Spatial Information in Key Areas of the Descending Pain Modulatory System
Christoph Ritter, Martin N. Hebart, Thomas Wolbers, Ulrike Bingel
Journal of Neuroscience 26 March 2014, 34 (13) 4634-4639; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4342-13.2014

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Request Permissions
Share
Representation of Spatial Information in Key Areas of the Descending Pain Modulatory System
Christoph Ritter, Martin N. Hebart, Thomas Wolbers, Ulrike Bingel
Journal of Neuroscience 26 March 2014, 34 (13) 4634-4639; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4342-13.2014
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Materials and Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Responses to this article

Respond to this article

Jump to comment:

No eLetters have been published for this article.

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Heteromodal Cortical Areas Encode Sensory-Motor Features of Word Meaning
  • Pharmacologically Counteracting a Phenotypic Difference in Cerebellar GABAA Receptor Response to Alcohol Prevents Excessive Alcohol Consumption in a High Alcohol-Consuming Rodent Genotype
  • Neuromuscular NMDA Receptors Modulate Developmental Synapse Elimination
Show more Brief Communications
  • Home
  • Alerts
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Facebook
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on Twitter
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on LinkedIn
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Youtube
  • Follow our RSS feeds

Content

  • Early Release
  • Current Issue
  • Issue Archive
  • Collections

Information

  • For Authors
  • For Advertisers
  • For the Media
  • For Subscribers

About

  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
(JNeurosci logo)
(SfN logo)

Copyright © 2023 by the Society for Neuroscience.
JNeurosci Online ISSN: 1529-2401

The ideas and opinions expressed in JNeurosci do not necessarily reflect those of SfN or the JNeurosci Editorial Board. Publication of an advertisement or other product mention in JNeurosci should not be construed as an endorsement of the manufacturer’s claims. SfN does not assume any responsibility for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from or related to any use of any material contained in JNeurosci.