The periaqueductal gray and descending pain modulation: why should we study them and what role do they play in chronic pain?

Kasey S Hemington; Marie-Andrée Coulombe

doi:10.1152/jn.00998.2014

The periaqueductal gray and descending pain modulation: why should we study them and what role do they play in chronic pain?

J Neurophysiol. 2015 Oct;114(4):2080-3. doi: 10.1152/jn.00998.2014. Epub 2015 Feb 11.

Authors

Kasey S Hemington¹, Marie-Andrée Coulombe²

Affiliations

¹ Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada khemingt@uhnres.utoronto.ca.
² Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; and.

PMID: 25673745
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00998.2014

Abstract

In this Neuro Forum we discuss the significance of a recent study by Yu et al. (Neuroimage Clin 6: 100-108, 2014). The authors examined functional connectivity of a key node of the descending pain modulation pathway, the periaqueductal gray (PAG), in chronic back pain patients. Altered PAG connectivity to pain-related regions was found; we place results within the context of recent literature and emphasize the importance of understanding the descending component of pain in pain research.

Keywords: chronic low back pain; descending pain modulation; periaqueductal gray; resting-state fMRI.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Comment

MeSH terms

Chronic Pain / metabolism*
Female
Humans
Low Back Pain / metabolism*
Male
Pain Measurement / methods*
Periaqueductal Gray / metabolism*
Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism*