Disruption of default mode network dynamics in acute and chronic pain states
NeuroImage Clinical October 19, 2017 Z. Alshelh, K.K. Marciszewski, R. Akhter et al. 176 citations
Pain, whether acute or chronic, disrupts the default mode network (DMN), a brain system involved in attention, memory, and self-awareness. Using fMRI, the authors measured brain activity in chronic orofacial pain patients at rest and in healthy volunteers experiencing a 20-minute tonic pain stimulus. Both groups showed decreased oscillatory activity in key DMN regions and altered connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and other DMN areas. These similar DMN changes suggest they reflect the presence of pain itself, not just chronic pain, and may underlie the attention and mental flexibility deficits seen in pain states.