[Progress in the study of pain by brain imaging]

Abstract

This review deals with the recent functional brain imaging studies of pain. In summary, the sensory-discriminative component of pain is related with the lateral thalamus, primary and secondary somatosensory area and insular cortices, while the posterior parietal and prefrontal cortices seem to play a role in the cognitive-attentional process of nociceptive information. Different parts of anterior cingulate gyrus are correlated with cognitive and emotional aspects of pain. Brain imaging data obtained from clinical patients suffering from various kinds of pain especially neuropathic pain, were discussed at the end of this article.