Functional Neuroimaging to Detect the Neural Signatures of the Unpleasantness of Pain and Effort
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Summary
Background: The way the brain processes rewards and punishments may play a role in some disorders of the nervous system. People with chronic overlapping pain conditions (such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome \[ME/CFS\]) may have heightened responses to unpleasant, punishing sensations. Some of these conditions may also cause heightened responses to effort; this is an unpleasant sensation felt during physical and mental exertion. Objective: To learn more about how the brain processes different unpleasant sensations. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 50 years with ME/CFS. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants will have 3 visits in 1 to 5 weeks. Visit 1: Participants may have a neurologic exam. They will have a mock magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie on a bed in a wooden tube while they practice 2 tasks: Thermal pain rating: A device that creates mild to moderate heat will be placed on one leg. Physical effort rating: Participants will squeeze a plastic bar with different levels of force. Visit 2: Participants will have a real MRI scan. They will lie on a table that slides into a large tube. Visit 3: Participants will have another MRI scan. They will repeat the thermal pain and physical effort tasks while in the scanner. Sensors will be placed on 1 arm to measure how the muscles function as they squeeze the bar. Their heart rate will be tested: They will hold their finger against a camera lens for 1 minute. They will do 2 other tasks: 1 requires repeatedly pressing a key on a keyboard, and the other requires squeezing a bar.
Description
Study Description: This protocol will examine the associations between brain activation and the subjective unpleasantness associated with pain and physical effort in healthy individuals. We have developed two behavioral tasks for administration during neuroimaging: a Thermal Pain Rating task and a Physical Effort Rating task, which will allow us to identify brain regions in which activity is associated with the unpleasantness of these experiences. We hypothesize that the unpleasantness of the experiences will be associated with activity in a recently identified network of brain regions though…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: Healthy Controls: In order to be eligible to participate in this study as a healthy control, an individual must meet all the following criteria: 1. Ability of subject to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. 2. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study. 3. Male or female, aged 18-50 (inclusive). 4. Good general health as evidenced by medical history and/or physical examination. ME/CFS Patients: In order to be eligible to participate in this study as an ME/CFS patient, an i…
Interventions
- DeviceThermal Pain Stimulation
Thermal pain will be administered during fMRI neuroimaging via a thermal stimulation device (Medoc Ltd., Advanced Medical System, Israel; 510K: K052357; K041908; K922052) to examine brain activity corresponding to the experience of this stimulus. This device and associated system carries an FDA 510 (K) clearance.
- DevicePhysical Effort Stimulation
Physical effort will be administered during fMRI neuroimaging via a hand dynamometer attachment for a physiological monitoring system (BIOPAC Systems, Inc., Goleta, CA, USA) to examine brain activity corresponding to the experience of this stimulus. This device has not received pre-marked approval or 510 (K) clearance by the FDA.
Location
- National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, Maryland