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Cerebral Cortex Advance Access published online on November 9, 2005
Cerebral Cortex, doi:10.1093/cercor/bhj071
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Article

Brain Processing of the Signals Ascending Through Unmyelinated C Fibers in Humans: An Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Yunhai Qiu 1, Yasuki Noguchi 1, Manabu Honda 2, Hiroki Nakata 1, Yohei Tamura 3, Satoshi Tanaka 4, Norihiro Sadato 2, Xiaohong Wang 3, Koji Inui 1, and Ryusuke Kakigi 5*

1 Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
2 Division of Cerebral Integration, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan; SORST, Japan Science and Technology Corp Agency (JST), Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan
3 Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
4 Division of Cerebral Integration, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
5 Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan; RISTEX, Japan Science and Technology Corp Agency (JST), Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Ryusuke Kakigi, E-mail: kakigi{at}nips.ac.jp


  Abstract

Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate brain processing of the signals ascending from peripheral C and A{delta} fibers evoked by phasic laser stimuli on the right hand in humans. The stimulation of both C and A{delta} nociceptors activated the bilateral thalamus, bilateral secondary somatosensory cortex, right (ipsilateral) middle insula, and bilateral Brodmann's area (BA) 24/32, with the majority of activity found in the posterior portion of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, magnitude of activity in the right (ipsilateral) BA32/8/6, including dorsal parts in the anterior portion of the ACC (aACC) and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), and the bilateral anterior insula was significantly stronger following the stimulation of C nociceptors than A{delta} nociceptors. It was concluded that the activation of C nociceptors, related to second pain, evokes different brain processing from that of A{delta} nociceptors, related to first pain, probably due to the differences in the emotional and motivational aspects of either pain, which are mainly related to the aACC, pre-SMA, and anterior insula.

Keywords: ACC (anterior cingulate cortex); A{delta} fiber; C fiber; fMRI; pain.
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