Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Emotion and Pain: A Functional Cerebral Systems Integration

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Neuropsychology Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Emotion and pain are psychological constructs that have received extensive attention in neuropsychological research. However, neuropsychological models of emotional processing have made more progress in describing how brain regions interact to process emotion. Theories of emotional processing can describe inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric interactions during emotional processing. Due to similarities between emotion and pain, it is thought that emotional models can be applied to pain. The following review examines the neuropsychology of emotion and pain using a functional cerebral systems approach. Specific comparisons are made between pain and anger. Attention is given to differences in cerebral function and physiology that may contribute to the processing of emotion and pain. Suggestions for future research in emotion and pain are given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AAOS Committee on Research (2003). Research funding Capitol Hill visits day. Washington, DC: AAOS Committee on Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adolphs, R., Damasio, H., & Tranel, D. (2002). Neural systems for recognition of emotional prosody: A 3-D lesion study. Emotion, 2(1), 23–51.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adolphs, R., Damasio, H., Tranel, D., & Damasio, A. R. (1996). Cortical systems for the recognition of emotion in facial expressions. Journal of Neuroscience, 16(23), 7678–7687.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adolphs, R., Jansari, A., & Tranel, D. (2001). Hemispheric perception of emotional valence from facial expressions. Neuropsychology, 15(4), 516–524.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • al’Absi, M., Buchanan, T., & Lovallo, W. (1996). Pain perception and cardiovascular response in men with positive parental history of hypertension. Psychophysiology, 33, 655–661.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • al’Absi, M., & Petersen, K. L. (2003). Blood pressure but not cortisol mediates stress effects on subsequent pain perception in healthy men and women. Pain, 106(3), 285–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alden, J. D., Harrison, D. W., Snyder, K. A., & Everhart, D. E. (1997). Age differences in intention to left and right hemispace using a dichotic listening paradigm. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavariol Neurology, 10(4), 239–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, G. F., Isen, A. M., & Turken, A. U. (1999). A neuropsychological model of positive affect and its influence on cognition. Psychological Review, 106(3), 529–550.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Avnon, Y., Nitzan, M., Sprecher, E., Rogowski, Z., & Yarnitsky, D. (2004). Autonomic asymmetry in migraine: Augmented parasympathetic activation in left unilateral migraineurs. Brain, 127, 2099–2108.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baehr, E. I., Rosenfield, J. P., Baehr, R., & Earnest, C. (1998). Comparison of two EEG asymmetry indices in depressed patients vs. normal controls. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 31, 89–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartolic, E. I., Basso, M. R., Schefft, B. K., Glauser, T., & Titanic-Schefft, M. (1999). Effects of experimentally induced emotional states on frontal lobe cognitive task performance. Neuropsychologia, 37, 677–683.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bassel, C., & Schiff, B. B. (2001). Unilateral vibrotactile stimulation induces emotional bias in cognition and performance. Neuropsychologia, 39, 282–287.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bearden, T. S., Cassisi, J. E., & White, J. N. (2004). Electrophysiological correlates of vigilance during a continuous performance test in health adults. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 29,(3) 175–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, M. A., & Fox, N. A. (2003). Cognition and affective style: Individual differences in brain electrical activity during spatial and verbal tasks. Brain and Cognition, 53, 441–451.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bingel, U., Quante, M., Knab, R., Bromm, B., Weiller, C., & Buchel, C. (2002). Subcortical structures involved in pain processing: Evidence from single-trial fMRI. Pain, 99(1–2), 313–321.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, R. J. R., Morris, J. S., Frith, C. D., Perrett, D. I., & Dolan, R. J. (1999). Dissociable neural responses to facial expressions of sadness and anger. Brain, 122, 883–893.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolles, R. C., & Fanselow, M. S. (1980). A perceptual-defensive-recuperative model of fear and pain. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3, 291–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borod, J. C. (1992). Interhemispheric and intrahemishperic control of emotion: A focus on unilateral brain damage. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(3), 339–348.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borod, J. C., Bloom, R. L., Brickman, A. M., Nakhutina, L., & Curko, E. A. (2002). Emotional processing deficits in individuals with unilateral brain damage. Applied Neuropsychology, 9(1), 23–36.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borod, J. C., Haywood, C. S., & Koff, E. (1997). Neuropsychological aspects of facial asymmetry during emotional expression: A review of the normal adult literature. Neuropsychology Review, 7, 41–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borod, J. C., Koff, E., & Buck, R. (1986). The neuropsychology of facial expression in normal and brain-damaged subjects. In P. Blanck, R. Buck, & R. Rosenthal (Eds.), Nonverbal communication in the clinical context (pp. 196–222). University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowers, D., Heilman, K. M., Satz, P., & Altman, A. (1978). Simultaneous performance on verbal, nonverbal and motor tasks by right-handed adults. Cortex, 14(4), 540–556.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, M. M., Codispoti, M., Sabatinelli, D., & Lang, P. (2001). Emotion and motivation II: Sex differences in picture processing. Emotion, 1(3), 300–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, J. B., Celentano, D., Stewart, W., Linet, M., & Folstein, M. F. (1990). Personality and emotional disorder in a community sample of migraine headache sufferers. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 303–308.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bromm, B. (2001). Brain images of pain. News in Physiological Sciences, 16, 244–249.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bruder, G. E., Kuitkin, F. M., Stewart, J. W., Martin, C., Voglmaier, M. M., & Harrison, W. M. (1989). Cerebral laterality in depression: Differences in perceptual asymmetry among diagnostic subtypes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 177–187.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bruehl, S., & Chung, Y. (2004). Interactions between the cardiovascular and pain regulatory systems: An updated review of mechanisms and possible alterations in chronic pain. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 28, 395–414.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bruehl, S., Chung, O. Y., Ward, P., Johnson, B., & McCubbin, J. A. (2002). The relationship between resting blood pressure and acute pain sensitivity in healthy normotensives and chronic back pain sufferers: The effects of opioid blockade. Pain, 100, 191–201.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryden, M. P., Ley, R. G., & Sugarman, J. H. (1982). A left-ear advantage for identifying the emotional quality of tonal sequences. Neuropsychologia, 20(1), 83–87.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryden, M. P., & MacRae, L. (1989). Dichotic laterality effects obtained with emotional words. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 1(3), 171–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, J. W., Bruehl, S., & Caceres, C. (2004). Anger management style, blood pressure reactivity, and acute pain sensitivity: Evidence for “Trait x Situation” models. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 27(3), 195–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, J. W., Kubilus, A., & Bruehl, S. (2003). Emotion induction moderates effects of anger management style on acute pain sensitivity. Pain, 106, 109–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burton, L. A., & Labar, D. (1999). Emotional status after right vs. left temporal lobectomy. Seizure, 8(2), 116–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush, G., Luu, P., & Posner, M. (2000). Cognitive and emotional influences in anterior cingulate cortex. Trends in Cognitive Science, 4(6), 215–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caceras, C., & Burns, J. (1997). Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress may enhance subsequent pain sensitivity. Pain, 69, 237–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, T. S., Ditto, B., Seguin, J. R., Sinray, S., & Tremblay, R. E. (2003). Adolescent pain sensitivity is associated with cardiac autonomic function and blood pressure over 8 years. Hypertension, 41(6), 1228–1233.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Casey, K. L., & Lorenz, J. (2000). The determinants of pain revisited: Coordinates in sensory space. Pain Research and Management, 5, 197–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casey, K. L., Morrow, T. J., Lorenz, J., & Minoshima, S. (2001). Temporal and spatial dynamics of human forebrain activity during heat pain: Analysis by positron emission tomography. The Journal of Neurophysiology, 85(2), 951–959.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandramouth, R., Kanchan, B., & Ambadevi, B. (1993). Right-left asymmetry in tonic pain perception and its modification by simultaneous contralateral noxious stimulation. Neuropsychologia, 31, 687–694.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, C. R., Nakamura, Y., Donaldson, G. W., Jacobson, R. C., Bradshaw, D. H., Flores, L., et al., (2001). Sensory and affective dimensions of phasic pain are indistinguishable in the self-report and psychophysiology of normal laboratory subjects. The Journal of Pain, 2, 279–294.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cleare, A. J., & Bond, A. J. (1997). Does central serotonergic function correlate with aggression? A study using D-fenfluramine in healthy subjects. Psychiatry Research, 69(2–3), 89–95.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coghill, R. C., Gilron, I., & Iadarola, J. (2001). Hemispheric lateralization of somatosensory processing. Journal of Neurophysiology, 85(6), 2602–2612.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Compton, R. J., & Weissman, D. H. (2002). Hemispheric asymmetries in global-local perception: Effects of individual differences in neuroticism. Laterality, 7(4), 333–350.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coupland, N. J., Sustrik, R. A., Ting, P., Li, D., Hartfeil, M., Singh, A. J., & Blair, R. J. (2004). Positive and negative affect differentially influence identification of facial emotions. Depression and Anxiety, 19(1), 31–34.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Craig, A. D. (2003). A new view of pain as a homeostatic emotion. Trends in Neurosciences, 26(6), 303–307.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crews, W. D., & Harrison, D. W. (1994). Sex differences and cerebral asymmetry in facial affect perception as a function of depression. Psychobiology, 22, 112–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crews, W. D., Jr., & Harrison, D. W. (1995). Neuropsychological test performances of young depressed outpatient women. An examination of executive functions. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 14(6), 517–529.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daum, I., Braun, C., Riesch, G., Miltner, W., Ackermann, H., Schugens, M. M., et al. (1995). Pain-related cerebral potentials in patients with frontal or parietal lobe lesions. Neuroscience Letters, 197(2), 137–140.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1988). EEG measures of cerebral asymmetry: Conceptual and methodological issues. International Journal of Neuroscience, 39, 71–89.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1993). Cerebral asymmetry and emotion: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Cognition and Emotion, 7, 115–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1995). Cerebral asymmetry, emotion, and affective style. In R. J. Davidson & K. Hughdahl (Eds.), Brain Asymmetry (pp. 361–387). Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (1998). Anterior electrophysiological asymmetries, emotion, and depression: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Psychophysiology, 35, 607–614.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (2000). What does the prefrontal cortex “do” in affect: Perspectives on frontal EEG asymmetry research. Biological Psychology, 67(1–2), 219–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (2003a). Seven sins in the study of emotion: Correctives from affective neuroscience. Brain and Cognition, 52, 129–132.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R. J. (2003b). Affective neuroscience and psychophysiology: Toward a synthesis. Psychophysiology, 40, 655–665.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. D., Hutchinson, W. D., Lozano, A. M., & Dostrovsky, J. O. (1994). Altered pain and temperature perception following cingulotomy and capsulotomy in a patient with schizoaffective disorder. Pain, 59(2), 189–199.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M. C., Matthews, K. A., McGrath, M. A. (2000). Hostile attitudes predict elevated vascular resistance during interpersonal stress in men and women. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 17–25.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, B. M., van der Graaf, F. H. C. E., & Paans, A. M. J. (2001). Brain activation related to the representations of external space and body scheme in visuomotor control. NeuroImage, 14, 1128–1135.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado, P. L. (2004). Common pathways of depression and pain. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 65(12), 16–19.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demaree, H. A., & Harrison, D. W. (1996). Case Study: Topographical brain mapping in hostility following mild closed-head injury. The International Journal of Neuroscience, 87, 97–101.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demaree, H., & Harrison, D. (1997). Physiological and neuropsychological correlates of hostility. Neuropsychologia, 35, 1405–1411.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demaree, H. A., Harrison, D. W., & Rhodes, R. D. (2000). Quantitative electroencephalographic analyses of cardiovascular regulation in low- and high-hostile men. Psychobiology, 28(3), 420–431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demaree, H. A., Higgins, D. A., Williamson, J. B., & Harrison, D. W. (2002). Asymmetry in hand grip strength and fatigue in low- and high-hostile men. International Journal of Neuroscience, 112(4), 415–428.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denny-Brown, D., Meyer, J. S., & Horenstein, S. (1952). The significance of perceptual rivalry resulting from parietal lesion. Brain, 75(4), 433–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devinsky, O., Morrell, M. J., & Vogt, B. A. (1995). Contributions of anterior cingulate cortex to behaviour. Brain, 118(Pt 1), 279–306.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Wied, M., & Verbaten, M. N. (2001). Affective pictures processing, attention, and pain tolerance. Pain, 90(1–2), 163–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diego, M. A., Field, T., Sanders, C., & Hernandez-Reif, M. (2004). Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate. International Journal of Neuroscience, 114(1), 31–45.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, A., & Pearce, J. M. (1977). Inhibitory interaction between appetive and aversive stimuli. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 690–711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dimberg, U., & Petterson, M. (2000). Facial reactions to happy and angry facial expressions: Evidence for right hemisphere dominance. Psychophysiology, 37, 693–696.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, G. H., & Albanese, M. C. (2003). Is there a role for the parietal lobes in the perception of pain? Advances in Neurology, 93, 69–86.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Durel, L. A., Carver, C. S., Spitzer, S. B., Llabre, M. M., Weintraub, J. K., Saab, P. G., et al. (1989). Associations of blood pressure with self-report measures of anger and hostility among black and white men and women. Health Psychology, 8(5), 557–575.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eccleston, C., & Crombez, G. (1999). Pain demands attention: A cognitive-affective model on the interruptive function of pain. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 356–366.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Everhart, D. E., & Harrison, D. W. (1995). Hostility following right CVA: Support for right orbital frontal deactivation and right temporal activation. Journal of Neurotherapy, 1(2), 55–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Everhart, D. E., Harrison, D. W., Shenal, B. V., Williamson, J. B., & Wuensch, K. L. (2002). Grip- strength, fatigue, and motor perseveration in anxious men without depression. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 15(2), 133–142.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fasmer, O. B., & Oedegaard, K. J. (2002). Laterality of pain in migraine with comorbid unipolar depressive and bipolar II disorders. Bipolar Disorders, 4, 290–295.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, J. B. (2004). The neurobiology of pain, affect, and hypnosis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 46(3), 187–200.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez, E., & Milburn, T. W. (1994). Sensory and affective predictors of overall pain and emotions associated with affective pain. Clinical Journal of Pain, 10(1), 3–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferracuti, S., Seri, S., Mattia, D., & Cruccu, G. (1994). Quantitative EEG modifications during the cold water pressor test: Hemispheric and hand differences. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 17(3), 261–268.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fillingim, R. B., Browning, A. D., Powell, T., & Wright, R. A. (2002). Sex differences in perceptual and cardiovascular responses to pain: The influence of a perceived ability manipulation. Journal of Pain, 3(6), 439–445.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fillingim, R. B., & Maixner, W. (1996). The influence of resting blood pressure and gender on pain responses. Psychosomatic Medicine, 58, 326–332.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fillingim, R. B., Maixner, W., Bunting, S., & Silva, S. (1998). Resting blood pressure and thermal pain responses among females: Affects on pain unpleasantness but not pain intensity. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 30, 313–318.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flory, J. D., Manuck, S. B., Matthews, K. A., & Muldoon, M. F. (2004). Seretonergic function in the central nervous system is associated with daily ratings of positive mood. Psychiatry Research, 129, 11–19.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, P. S. (2001). The relationship between subjective intensity of emotional memories and cardiovascular responding. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

  • Foster, P. S., & Harrison, D. W. (2002). The relationship between magnitude of cerebral activation and intensity of emotional arousal. International Journal of Neuroscience, 112, 1463–1477.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, P. S., & Harrison, D. W. (2004). The covariation of cortical electrical activity and cardiovascular responding. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 52, 239–255.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, N. A. (1994). Dynamic cerebral processes underlying emotion regulation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59(2–3), 152–166.

  • France, C. (1999). Decreased pain perception and risk for hypertension: Considering a common physiological mechanism. Psychophysiology, 36, 683–692.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fulbright, R. K., Troche, C., Skudlarski, P., Gore, J., & Wexler, B. E. (2001). Functional MR imaging of regional brain activation associated with the affective experience of pain. American Journal of Roentgenology, 177, 1205–1210.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gadea, M., Gomez, C., Gonzalez-Bono, E., Espert, R., & Salvador, A. (1995). Increased cortisol and decreased right ear advantage (REA) in dichotic listening following a negative mood induction. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30(2), 129–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geisser, M. E., Robinson, M. E., & Pickren, W. (1992). Coping styles among pain sensitive and pain tolerant individuals on the cold-pressor test. Behavior Therapy, 23, 31–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelkopf, M. (1997). Laboratory pain and styles of coping with anger. The Journal of Psychology, 121(1), 121–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gendolla, G. H., Abele, A. E., & Krusken, J. (2001). The informational impact of mood on effort mobilization: A study of cardiovascular and electrodermal responses. Emotion, 1(1), 12–24.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, J. A. (1990). Brain systems that mediate both emotion and cognition. Cognition and Emotion, 4, 269–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, J. A. (2001). Emotional modulation of cognitive control: Approach-withdrawal states double-dissociate spatial from verbal two-back task performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 130(3), 436–452.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hachinsky, V. C., Oppenheimer, S. M., Wilson, J. X., Guiraudon, C., & Cechetto, D. F. (1992). Asymmetry of sympathetic consequences of experimental stroke. Archives of Neurology, 49, 697–702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones E. (2004a). Contributions from research on anger and cognitive dissonance to understanding the motivational functions of asymmetrical frontal brain activity. Biological Psychology, 67(1–2), 51–76.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones, E. (2004b). On the relationship of anterior brain activity and anger: Examining the role of attitude toward anger. Cognition and Emotion, 18, 337–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones, E., & Allen, J. J. (1997). Behavioral activation sensitivity and resting frontal EEG asymmetry: Covariation of putative indicators related to risk for mood disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 159–163.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones, E., & Allen, J. J. (1998). Anger and frontal brain activity: EEG asymmetry consistent with approach motivation despite negative affective valence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1310–1316.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harmon-Jones, E., & Sigelman, J. (2001). State anger and frontal brain activity: Evidence that insult-related relative left prefrontal activation is associated with experienced anger and aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 797–803.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, D. W., & Gorelczenko, P. M. (1990). Functional asymmetry for facial affect perception in high and low hostile men and women. International Journal of Neuroscience, 55(2–4), 89–97.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, K. M. (1997). The neurobiology of emotional experience. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 9(3), 439–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, K. M., & Gilmore, R. L. (1998). Cortical influences in emotion. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, 15(5), 409–423.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, K. M., Leon, S. A., & Rosenbek, J. C. (2004). Affective aprosodia from a medial frontal stroke. Brain and Language, 89(3), 411–416.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, K. M., & Rothi, L. J. G. (1993). Apraxia. In K. M. Heilman, & E. Valenstein (Eds.), Clinical Neuropsychology, (pp.141–163). New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Heilman, K. M., Scholes, R., & Watson, R. T. (1975). Auditory affective agnosia. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 38, 1018–1020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heller, W. (1990). The neuropsychology of emotion: Developmental patterns and implications for psychopathology. In N. Stein, B. L. Lethalven & T. Trabasso (Eds.), Psychological and biological approaches to emotion (pp. 167–211). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

  • Heller, W. (1993). Neuropsychological mechanisms of individual differences in emotion, personality, and arousal. Neuropsychology, 7, 476–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heller, W., Etienne, M., & Miller, G. (1995). Patterns of perceptual asymmetry in depression and anxiety: Implications for neuropsychological models of emotion and psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104(2), 327–333.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, W., Lindsay, D. L., Metz, J., & Farnum, D. M. (1990). Individual differences in right hemisphere activation are associated with arousal and autonomic response to lateralized stimuli. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 13, 95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heller, W., Nitschke, J. B., Etienne, M. A., & Miller, G. A. (1997). Patterns of regional brain activity differentiate types of anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106(3), 376–385.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henriques, J., & Davidson, R. J. (1997). Brain electrical asymmetries during cognitive task performance in depressed and nondepressed subjects. Biological Psychiatry, 42, 1039–1050.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herridge, M. L., Harrison, D. W., & Demaree, H. (1997). Hostility, facial configuration, and bilateral asymmetry on galvanic skin response. Psychobiology, 25(1), 71–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herridge, M. L., Harrison, D. W., Mollet, G. A., & Shenal, B. V. (2004). Hostility and facial affect recognition: Effects of a cold pressor stressor on accuracy and cardiovascular reactivity. Brain and Cognition, 55(3), 564–571.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, J. C., Belfrage, M., Stone-Elander, S., Hansson, P., & Ingvar, M. (1995). Central representation of chronic ongoing neuropathic pain studied by positron emission tomography. Pain, 65, 225–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, J. C., Hannerz, J., & Ingvar, M. (1996). Right-lateralised central processing for pain of nitroglycerin-induced cluster headache. Pain, 67(1), 59–68.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • International Association for the Study of Pain (1979). Pain terms: A list with definitions and notes on usage. Pain, 6, 249–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Association for the Study of Pain (1994). IASP Task Force on Taxonomy. In H. Merskey & N. Bogduk (Eds.), Classification of chronic pain: description of chronic pain syndromes and definition of pain terms. Seattle: IASP Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, S. A. (2002). Negative affect and sensitization to pain. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43, 131–137.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, S. A., Spinhoven, P., & Brosschot, J. F. (2001). Experimentally induced anger, cardiovascular reactivity, and pain sensitivity. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 51, 479–485.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kinsbourne, M., & Hicks, R. F. (1978). Functional cerebral space: A model overflow, transfer and interference effects in human performance. In J. Requin (Ed.), Attention and Performance VII. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsbourne, M., & Hiscock, M. (1983). Asymmetries of dual task performance. In J. B. Hellige (Ed.), Cerebral hemispheric asymmetries: Method, theory, and application (pp. 465–497). New York: Praeger.

  • Klaasen, T., Riedel, W. J., Deutz, N. E. P., & Van Praag, H. M. (2002). Mood congruent memory bias induced by tryptophan depletion. Psychological Medicine, 32, 274–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, R. D., & Schwartz, G. E. (1987). Induction of lateralized sympathetic input to the heart by the CNS during emotional arousal: A possible neurophysiologic trigger of sudden cardiac death. Psychosomatic Medicine, 49(3), 275–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, G. P., Meador, K. J., Loring, D. W., & Bradley, K. P. (2002). Lateralized changes in autonomic arousal during emotional processing in patients with unilateral temporal lobe seizure onset. International Journal of Neuroscience, 112(6), 743–757.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, G. P., Meador, K. J., Loring, D. W., Allison, J. D., Brown, W. S., Paul, L. K., et al. (2004). Neural substrates of emotion as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 17(1), 9–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liotti, M., & Tucker, D. M. (1992). Right hemisphere sensitivity to arousal and depression. Brain and Cognition, 18, 138–151.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liotti, M., & Tucker, D. M. (1998). Emotion in asymmetric corticolimbic networks. In R. J. Davidson & K. Hugdahl (Eds.), Brain Asymmetry, 2nd edn. (pp. 389–423). Cambridge: MIT Press.

  • Logan, H. L., Gedney, J. J., Sheffield, D., Yiwen, X., & Starrenburg, E. (2003). Stress influences the level of negative affectivity after forehead cold pressor pain. Journal of Pain, 4(9), 520–529.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz, J., Cross, D., Minoshima, S., Morrow, T., Paulson, P., & Casey K. (2002). A unique representation of heat allodynia in the human brain. Neuron, 35, 383–393.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz, J., Minoshima, S., & Casey, K. L. (2003). Keeping pain out of the mind: The role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Brain, 126, 1079–1091.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lugo, M., Isturiz, G., Lara, C., Garcia, N., & Eblen-Zaijur, A. (2002). Sensory lateralization in pain subjective perception for noxious heat stimulus. Somatosensory and Motor Research, 19(3), 207–212.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luria, A. R. (1973). The working brain. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Max, M. B. (2003). How to move pain and symptom research from the margin to the mainstream. Journal of Pain, 4(7), 355–360.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, K. A., Gump, B. B., Harris, K. F., Haney, T. L., & Barefoot, J. C. (2004). Hostile behaviors predict cardiovascular mortality among men enrolled in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Circulation, 109(1), 66–70.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meagher, M. W., Arnau, R. C., & Rhudy, J. L. (2001). Pain and emotion: Effects of affective picture modulation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 63, 79–90.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meana, M., Cho, R., & DesMeules, M. (2004). Chronic pain: The extra burden on Canadian women. BMC Women's Health, 4(S17), 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melzack, R., & Wall, P. D. (1965). Pain mechanisms: A new theory. Science, 150, 971–979.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Melzack, R. (2001). Pain and the neuromatrix in the brain. Journal of Dental Education, 65(12), 1378–1382.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mesulam, M. (2000). Behavioral neuroanatomy: Large scale networks, association cortex, frontal syndromes, the limbic system, and hemispheric specializations. In M. Mesulam (Ed.), Principles of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology (pp. 1–120). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers, C. D., Robinson, M. E., Riley, J. L., & Sheffield D. (2001). Sex, gender, and blood pressure: contributions to experimental pain report. Psychosomatic Medicine, 21, 853–860.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, E. N., Fujioka, T. A. T., Chapman, L. J., & Chapman, J. P. (1995). Hemispheric asymmetries of function in patients with major affective disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 29, 173–183.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Min, S., & Lee, B. (1997). Laterality in somatization. Psychosomatic Medicine, 59(3), 236–240.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mollet, G. A., & Harrison, D. W. (in press). Affective verbal learning in hostility: An increased primacy effect and bias for negative emotional material. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, in press.

  • Morrow, L., Vrtunski, P. B., Kim, Y., & Boller, F. (1981). Arousal responses to emotional stimuli and laterality of lesion. Neuropsychologia, 19(1), 65–71.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer, S. M. (2001). Forebrain lateralization of cardiovascular function: Physiology and clinical correlates. Annals of Neurology, 49(5), 555–556.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer, S. M., Gelb, A., Girvin, J. P., & Hachinski, V. C. (1992). Cardiovascular effects of human insular cortex stimulation. Neurology, 42, 1727–1732.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozcan, A., Tulum, Z., Pinar, L., & Buskurt, F. (2004). Comparison of pressure pain threshold, grip strength, dexterity and touch pressure of dominant and non-dominant hands within and between right- and left-handed subjects. Journal of Korean Medical Sciences, 19, 874–878.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page, G. D., & France, C. R. (1997). Objective evidence of decreased pain perception in normotensives at risk for hypertension. Pain, 73, 173–180.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pauli, P., Wiedemann, G., & Nickola, M. (1999a). Pain sensitivity, cerebral laterality, and negative affect. Pain, 80, 359–364.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pauli, P., Wiedemann, G., & Nickola, M. (1999b). Pressure pain thresholds asymmetry in left and right-handers: Associations with behavioural measures of cerebral laterality. European Journal of Pain, 3, 151–156.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petruzzello, S. J., Hall, E. E., & Ekkekakis, P. (2001). Regional brain activation as a biological marker of affective responsivity to acute exercise: Influence of fitness. Psychophysiology, 38, 99–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peyron, R., Laurent, B., & Garcia-Larrea, L. (2000). Functional imaging of the brain responses to pain. A review and meta-analysis. Clinical Neurophysiology, 30(5), 263–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posner, M. I., & Raichle, M. E. (1994). Images of Mind. New York: Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posner, M. I., & DiGirolamo, G. J. (1998). Executive attention: Conflict, target detection, and cognitive control. In R. Parasuraman (Ed.), The Attentive Brain. MIT Press.

  • Price, D. D. (2000). Psychological and neural mechanisms of the affective dimension of pain. Science, 288(5472), 1769–1772.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Price, D. D. (2002). Central neural mechanisms that interrelate sensory and affective dimensions of pain. Molecular Interventions, 2, 392–403.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Public Law 106–386 (2000). Victims of trafficking and violence protection act of 2000. Title VI, Section 1603, Decade of Pain Control and Research.

  • Pury, C., McCubbin, J., Helfer, S., Galloway, C., & McMullen, L. (2004). Elevated resting blood pressure and dampened emotional response. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 583–587.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raichle, M. E. (2003). Functional brain imaging and human brain function. The Journal of Neuroscience, 23(10), 3959–3962.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rainville, P. (2002). Brain mechanisms of pain affect and pain modulation. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 12(2), 195–204.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reuter-Lorenz, P. A., Givis, R. P., & Moscovitch, M. (1983). Hemispheric specialization and the perception of emotion: Evidence from right-handers and from inverted and non-inverted left-handers. Neuropsychologia, 21(6), 687–692.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhudy, J. L., & Meagher, M. W. (2000). Fear and anxiety: divergent effects on human pain thresholds. Pain, 84(1), 65–75.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhudy, J. L., & Meagher, M. W. (2003). Negative affect: effects on an evaluative measure of human pain. Pain, 104(3), 617–626.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, E. D., Harney, J. H., deLacoste-Utamsing, C., & Purdy, P. D. (1981). How the brain integrates affective and propostitional language into a unified behavioral function. Hypothesis based on clinicoanatomic evidence. Archives of Neurology, 38, 745–748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rule, R. R., Shimamura, A. P., & Knight, R. T. (2002). Orbitofrontal cortex and dynamic filtering of emotional stimuli. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 2(3), 264–270.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ruoff, G. E. (1996). Depression in the patient with chronic pain. Journal of Family Practice, 43(6), S25--S33.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schiff, B. B., & Gagliese, L. (1994). The consequences of experimentally induced and chronic unilateral pain: reflections of hemispheric lateralization of emotion. Cortex, 30(2), 255--267.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzler, A., & Ploner, M. (2000). Neurophysiology and Functional Neuroanatomy of Pain Perception. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, 17(6), 592–603.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schutter, D., Putman, P., Hermans, E., & van Honk, J. (2001). Parietal electroencephalogram beta asymmetry and selective attention to angry facial expressions in healthy human subjects. Neuroscience Letters, 314(1–2), 13–16.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, G. E., Weinberger, D. A., & Singer, J. A. (1981). Cardiovascular differentiation of happiness, sadness, anger, and fear following imagery and exercise. Psychosomatic Medicine, 43, 343–364.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seltzer, S., & Yarczower, M. (1991). Selective encoding and retrieval of affective words during exposure to aversive stimulation. Pain, 47(1), 47–51.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, P. A., Sloan, R. P., Bagiella, E., Kuhl, J. P., Anjilvel, S., & Mann, J. J. (2000). Cerebral activation, hostility, and cardiovascular control during mental stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48, 485–491.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shenal, B. V., Harrison, D. W., & Demaree, H. A. (2003). The neuropsychology of depression: A literature review and preliminary model. Neuropsychology Review, 13, 33–42.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, J. J., LeResche, L., Huggins, K. H., Mancl, L. A., Sage, J. C., & Dworkin, S. F. (2004). The relationship of somatization and depression to experimental pain response in women with temporomandibular disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66(6), 852–860.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, K. A., Harrison, D. W., & Shenal, B. V. (1998). The affective auditory verbal learning test: Peripheral arousal correlated. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 13, 251–258.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spicer, J., & Chamberlain, K. (1996). Cynical hostility, anger, and resting blood pressure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 40(4), 359–368.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., Johnson, E. H., Russell, S. F., Crane, R., Jacobs, G. A., & Worden, T. J. (1985). The experience and expression of anger: Constructionand validation of and anger expression scale. In M. A. Chesney & R. H. Rosenman (Eds.), Anger and Hostility in Cardiovascular and Behavioral Disorders (pp. 5–30). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudakov, K. V. (2004). Functional Systems Theory: A New Approach to the Question of the Integration of Physiological Processes in the Body. Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, 34(5), 495–500.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Summers, J., Johnson, S., Pridmore, S., & Oberoi, G. (2004). Changes to cold detection and pain thresholds following low and high frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex. Neuroscience Letters, 368(2), 197–200.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, S. K., & Davidson, R. J. (1997). Prefrontal brain asymmetry: A biological substrate of the behavioral approach and inhibition systems. Psychological Science, 8, 204–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talbot, J. D., Villemure, J. G., Bushnell, M. C., & Duncan, G. H. (1995). Evaluation of pain perception after anterior capsulotomy: a case report. Somatosensory and Motor Research, 12(2), 115–126.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura, Y., Okabeb, S., Ohnishic, T., Saitod, D. N., Araib, N., Mochioa, S., Inouea, K., & Ugawa, Y. (2004). Effects of 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on acute pain induced by capsaicin. Pain, 107(1–2), 107–115.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thayer, J., & Friedman, B. H. (2002). Stop that! Inhibition, sensitization, and their neurovisceral concomitants. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43, 123–130.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thayer, J., & Lane, R. D. (2000). A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation and dysregulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 61, 201–216.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomarken, A. J., Davidson, R. J., & Henriques, J. B. (1990). Resting frontal brain asymmetry predicts affective responses to films. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 91–801.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treede, R. D., Kenshalo, D. R., Gracely, R. H., & Jones, A. K. (1999). The cortical presentation of pain. Pain, 79(2–3), 105–111.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, D. M. (1993). Emotional experience and the problem of vertical integration: Discussion of the special section on emotion. Neuropsychology, 7, 500–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, D. M., Derryberry, D., & Luu, P. (2000). Anatomy and Physiology of Human Emotion: Vertical Integration of Brain Stem, Limbic, and Cortical Systems. In J. C. Borod (Ed.), The Neuropsychology of Emotion (pp. 56–79). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, D. M., & Frederick, S. L. (1989). Emotion and brain lateralization. In H. Wagner and A. Manstead (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychophysiology (pp. 27–70). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, D. M., Harty-Speiser, A., McDougal, L., Luu, P., & deGranpre, D. (1999). Mood and spatial memory: Emotion and right hemisphere contribution to spatial cognition. Biological Psychology, 50, 103– 125.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, D. M., & Williamson, P. A. (1984). Asymmetric neural control systems in human self-regulation. Psychological Review, 91(2), 185–215.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Urban, P. P., Solinski, M., Best, C., Rolke, R., Hopf, H. C., & Dieterich, M. (2004). Different short-term modulation of cortical motor output to distal and proximal upper-limb muscles during painful sensory nerve stimulation. Muscle and Nerve, 29, 663–669.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Damme, S., Crombez, G., & Eccleston, C. (2004). The anticipation of pain modulates spatial attention: evidence for pain-specificity in high-pain catastrophizers. Pain, 111(3), 392–399.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Strien, J., & Heut, R. (1995). Altered visual field asymmetries for letter naming and letter matching as a result of concurrent presentation of threatening and nonthreatening words. Brain and Cognition, 29, 187–203.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Valeriani, M., Tinazzi, M., Le Pera, D., Restuccia, D., De Armas, L., Maiese, T., et al. (2004). Inhibitory effect of capsaicin evoked trigeminal pain on warmth sensation and warmth evoked potentials. Experimental Brain Research, 160, 29–37.

  • Vrana, S. R., Spence, E. L., & Lang, P. J. (1988). The startle probe response: A new measure of emotion? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 487–491.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waldstein, S. R., Kop, W. J., Schmidt, L. A., Haufler, A. J., Krantz, D. S., & Fox, N. A. (2000). Frontal electrocortical and cardiovascular reactivity during happiness and anger. Biological Psychology, 55, 2–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wall, P. D. (1979). On the relation of injury to pain. Pain, 6, 253–264.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisenberg, M., Raz, T., & Hener, T. (1998). The influence of film-induced mood on pain perception. Pain, 76(3), 365–375.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wildgruber, D., Pihan, H., Ackermann, H., Erb, M., & Grodd, W. (2002). Dynamic brain activation during processing of emotional intonation: Influence of acoustic parameters, emotional valence, and sex. Neuroimage, 15(4), 856–869.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, J. B., & Harrison, D. W. (2003). Functional Cerebral Asymmetry in hostility: A dual task approach with fluency and cardiovascular regulation. Brain and Cognition, 52(2), 167–174 .

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittling, W. (1995). Brain asymmetry in the control of autonomic-physiologic activity. In R. J. Davidson & K. Hugdahl (Eds.), Brain asymmetry (pp. 305–358). Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittling, W., Block, A., Schweiger, E., & Genzel, S. (1998a). Hemisphere asymmetry in sympathetic control of the human myocardium. Brain and Cognition, 38, 17–35.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wittling, W., Block, A., Genzel, S., & Schweiger, E. (1998b). Hemisphere asymmetry in parasympathetic control of the heart. Neuropsychologia, 36(5), 461–468.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wunsch, A., Philippot, P., & Plaghki, L. (2003). Affective associative learning modifies the sensory perception of nociceptive stimuli without participant's awareness. Pain, 102, 27–38.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi, S., & Knight, R. T. (1990). Gating of somatosensory input by human prefrontal cortex. Brain Research, 521(1–2), 281–288.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zoccolotti, P., Scabini, D., & Violani, C. (1982). Electrodermal responses in patients with unilateral brain damage. Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology, 4(2), 143–150.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Tech Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic University, Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Gina A. Mollet & David W. Harrison

Authors
  1. Gina A. Mollet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David W. Harrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David W. Harrison.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mollet, G.A., Harrison, D.W. Emotion and Pain: A Functional Cerebral Systems Integration. Neuropsychol Rev 16, 99–121 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-006-9009-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-006-9009-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation