Microstructural alterations in medial forebrain bundle are associated with interindividual pain sensitivity.

ABSTRACT: The perception of pain to noxious stimuli, also known as pain sensitivity, varies among individuals. The comprised brain structures and their white matter pathways are complex and elusive. Here, we aimed to investigate whether variation of microstructure of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), a tract connecting the basal forebrain with the brain stem, is associated with interindividual pain sensitivity. We assessed interindividual pain sensitivity as a rating of pain intensity to heat stimuli (45, 47, and 48.9°C) in 38 healthy men (age: 27.05 ± 5.7 years). We also reconstructed the MFB using multitensor tractography from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and calculated free-water corrected dMRI measures of fractional anisotropy (FA_t ), radial diffusivity (RD_t

SUBMITTER: Geisler M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7856635 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature