Model System:

SCI

Reference Type:

Journal article

Accession No.:

J87993

Journal:

Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine - JSCM (formerly Journal of the American Paraplegia Society)

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 44, 5, 794-799

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study examined differences in resting cerebral blood flow s in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI)-related neuropathic pain compared to healthy, pain-free able-bodied controls. Five people with paraplegia and 10 able-bodied participants were included in this study. Resting blood flow, as measured by a continuous arterial spin labeling (ASL) method of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), was analyzed via statistical parametric mapping. Results showed that individuals with SCI-related neuropathic pain had significantly lower resting blood flow in the cerebellum, rostral ventromedial medulla and left insular cortex. In contrast, greater resting blood flow occurred in the medial orbitofrontal cortex among those with SCI-related neuropathic pain compared to controls. Differences in resting blood flow were observed among those with SCI-related pain, particularly in regions that may be involved in affective-motivational and cognitive-evaluative aspects of pain. Larger ASL studies in addition to functional connectivity studies using fMRI are needed to clarify unique neural patterns in this complex and often intractable form of pain.

Author(s):

Richardson, Elizabeth J. |Deutsch, Georg |Deshpande, Hrishikesh D. |Richards, J. Scott|

Participating Centers: