A combined [11C]diprenorphine PET study and fMRI study of acupuncture analgesia

Behav Brain Res. 2008 Nov 3;193(1):63-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.04.020. Epub 2008 May 2.

Abstract

Functional neuroimaging studies suggest that a lateral network in the brain is associated with the sensory aspects of pain perception while a medial network is associated with affective aspects. The highest concentration of opioid receptors is in the medial network. There is significant evidence that endogenous opioids are central to the experience of pain and analgesia. We applied an integrative multimodal imaging approach during acupuncture. We found functional magnetic resonance imaging signal changes in the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and pons and [11C]diprenorphine positron emission tomography signal changes in the orbitofrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, insula, thalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings include brain regions within both the lateral and medial pain networks.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Analgesia / methods*
  • Analgesia / methods
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Cortex / metabolism
  • Diprenorphine* / pharmacokinetics
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Frontal Lobe / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Neural Pathways / diagnostic imaging
  • Neural Pathways / metabolism
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pons / diagnostic imaging
  • Pons / metabolism
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Radiography
  • Thalamus / diagnostic imaging
  • Thalamus / metabolism

Substances

  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Diprenorphine