Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pain-related neurons in the human cingulate cortex

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

From Nature Neuroscience

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Although it is widely accepted that the cortex participates in pain perception, there is no direct evidence for the existence of cortical neurons that respond to noxious or painful stimuli in humans. Anatomical and neurophysiological studies in animals as well as brain imaging and evoked potential studies in humans suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is an important area for processing sensory information related to pain1,2,3,4,5,6,7. We have now identified single neurons in ACC that respond selectively to painful thermal and mechanical stimuli, supporting a role for the ACC in pain perception.

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

Figure 1: Responses and locations of ACC neurons.

References

  1. Sikes, R. W. & Vogt, B. A. J. Neurophysiol. 68, 1720–1732 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Koyama, T., Tanaka, Y. Z. & Mikami, A. Neuroreport 9, 2663– 2667 (1998).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Casey, K. L., Minoshima, S., Morrow, T. J. & Koeppe, R. A. J. Neurophysiol. 76, 571–581 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Vogt, B. A., Derbyshire, S. & Jones, A. K. Eur. J. Neurosci. 8, 1461– 1473 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Davis, K. D., Taylor, S. J., Crawley, A. P., Wood, M. L. & Mikulis, D. J. J. Neurophysiol. 77, 3370–3380 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Talbot, J. D. et al. Science 251, 1355– 1358 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lenz, F. A. et al. J. Neurophysiol. 79, 2231– 2234 (1998).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Lozano, A. M., Hutchison, W. D. & Dostrovsky, J. O. Acta Neurochir. Suppl. (Wien) 64, 30–34 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Talairach, J. & Tournoux, P. Co-Planar Stereotactic Atlas of the Human Brain (Thieme, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Coghill, R. C. et al. J. Neurosci. 14, 4095– 4108 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Rainville, P., Duncan, G. H., Price, D. D., Carrier, B. & Bushnell, M. C. Science 277, 968–971 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Vogt, B. A., Finch, D. M. & Olson, C. R. Cereb. Cortex 2, 435– 443 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Craig, A. D., Reiman, E. M., Evans, A. & Bushnell, M. C. Nature 384, 258–260 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Z. Kiss, A. Parent and H. Merskey for participation in some of the cases. Research supported by grants from MRC Canada and NINDS NS36824.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery, Dept of Surgery, University of Toronto and The Toronto Hospital Research Institute, EW6-528, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, M5T 2S8, Ontario, Canada

    W. D. Hutchison, K. D. Davis, A. M. Lozano & R. R. Tasker

  2. Western Division, Playfair Neuroscience Unit, The Toronto Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, M5T 2S8, Ontario, Canada

    W. D. Hutchison, K. D. Davis, A. M. Lozano & J. O. Dostrovsky

  3. Dept. of Physiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Bldg., Rm. 3305, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Ontario, Canada

    W. D. Hutchison & J. O. Dostrovsky

Authors
  1. W. D. Hutchison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. D. Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. M. Lozano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. R. Tasker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. O. Dostrovsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. D. Hutchison.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hutchison, W., Davis, K., Lozano, A. et al. Pain-related neurons in the human cingulate cortex. Nat Neurosci 2, 403–405 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/8065

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/8065

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation