Brain Activation During Accommodation to Painful Stimulation With FMRI

Blood oxygen level dependant (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) investigations of pain have provided substantial insight into the workings of the human brain. To date, however, the vast majority of studies have dealt with short painful stimulations. This work will expand the investigators knowledge of how longer stimulations are processed by comparing the activation pattern from a two minute painful stimulation with that of an 30-second painful stimulus. The investigators hypothesis that accommodation to the longer stimulation will be evident by either decreases in signal intensity in brain areas known to process pain, or by increasing activity in brain areas thought to be responsible for the modulation of painful perception.

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Key information

Conditions

Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

About this study

Background: Over the past 14 years, BOLD FMRI studies have non-invasively shown that pain activates a matrix of areas, but that this activation decays during stimulation, possibly reflecting the body's ability to "accommodate" to the stimulation. The majority of these use short applications of pain lasting 1 to 30 seconds. However, investigators are now using stimulations much longer than the periods that were typical a few years ago. The effect of signal decay on the activation maps generated by these longer tasks is not known. Because the signal change in many of the subcortical areas involved in pain processing is low, errors in analysis due to neglecting the signal decay may induce significant artifact.

Materials and Methods: Using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, 20 healthy volunteers will experience two different painful stimulations: a repeating 30-second long stimulation and a constant 2 minute stimulation. The brain activity for each will be determined and compared. In addition, the signal decay during each painful stimulation will be quantified and compared.

Significance: Investigators are using longer stimulations periods in an attempt to understand how the brain processes "real- life" pain instead of the artificial on-off pattern of earlier studies. However, significant attention has not been paid to the possible effect of accommodation on the stimulus and how this may impact the activity pattern found. In addition, proof of activation of pain-control areas like the periaquaductal gray while inverse changes are occurring in pain-perceiving areas has not been sought. This study will address both of these issues with a single BOLD FMRI experiment.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age 18 to 50
Right-handed
Male or female
Healthy individuals not taking any medication.

Exclusion criteria

Pregnancy
Diagnosed with any treated or untreated medical or neurological conditions
Using any prescription drugs, including antidepressants, pain medications, sedative medications, blood pressure medications, seizure medications, or antipsychotics. Oral contraceptives are permitted
Using any over-the-counter medications including aspirin, Tylenol, or herbal supplements
Using any illicit substances
Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

To determine the areas of brain activity from a 2 minute long painful stimulation

Time frame: After a 2 minute long painful stimulation

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Brain Activation During Accommodation to Painful Stimulation With Functional Imaging of Pain

Important dates

Study start: 2010
Primary completion: 2011
Study completion: 2016
First posted: Nov 17, 2010
Registry last updated: Jun 26, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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