Patients with chronic pain exhibit a complex relationship triad between pain, resilience, and within- and cross-network functional connectivity of the default mode network.
Kasey S Hemington, Anton Rogachov, Joshua C Cheng, Rachael L Bosma, Junseok Andrew Kim, Natalie R Osborne, Robert D Inman, Karen D. Davis
Pain August 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001252 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional functional neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 102 |
| Population | 51 chronic pain patients with ankylosing spondylitis (a form of spondylarthritis) and 51 healthy control participants |
| Measures | Resilience Scale, clinical pain report, disease activity, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (functional connectivity) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Brain Nerve net Humans Spondylitis, ankylosing Magnetic resonance imaging Adolescent Middle aged Male Resilience, psychological Young adult Chronic pain Functional neuroimaging |
| Key findings | In healthy controls, stronger within-DMN functional connectivity was associated with lower trait resilience. In chronic pain patients, resilience was negatively correlated with pain and disease activity, and cross-network DMN-sensorimotor connectivity was abnormally high in those with high same-day clinical pain; among patients reporting greater pain, the relationship between within-DMN connectivity and resilience was atypical, which the authors propose indicates different neural representations of resilience and pain. |
Abstract
Resilience is a psychological trait that strongly predicts chronic pain-related health outcomes. The neural correlates of both pain and trait resilience are critical to understand the brain-behaviour relationship in chronic pain; yet, neural correlates of resilience in chronic pain states are unknown. However, measures of pain perception and a wide range of psychological health measures have been linked to function of the default mode network (DMN). Thus, we aimed to determine the relationships between resilience, pain perception, and functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN and between the DMN and other brain networks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 51 chronic pain patients with a form of spondylarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis) and 51 healthy control participants. Participants completed a questionnaire on their individual trait resilience (the Resilience Scale), and patients reported their clinical pain. In healthy controls, we found within-DMN FC to be stronger in less resilient individuals. In patients with chronic pain, individual resilience was negatively correlated with pain and disease activity. Cross-network FC between the DMN and the sensorimotor network was abnormally high in patients with high clinical pain scores on the day of the study. Finally, there was an interaction between within-DMN FC and clinical pain report in patients: In patients reporting greater pain, the relationship between within-DMN connectivity and resilience was atypical. Thus, our findings reveal different neural representations of resilience and pain. The way in which these behavioural measures interact provides insight into understanding the neural correlates of chronic pain.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Fractionating the Default Mode Network: Distinct Contributions of the Ventral and Dorsal Posterior Cingulate Cortex to Cognitive Control Journal of Neuroscience March 2, 2011
- Functional Reorganization of the Default Mode Network across Chronic Pain Conditions PLoS One September 2, 2014
- Enhanced Medial Prefrontal-Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Chronic Pain and Its Association with Pain Rumination Journal of Neuroscience March 12, 2014
and 4 more in the library