A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Dissociable Roles of Cerebral mu-Opioid and Type 2 Dopamine Receptors in Vicarious Pain: A Combined PET-fMRI Study
Authors: Karjalainen T, Karlsson HK, Lahnakoski JM, Glerean E, Nuutila P, Jaaskelainen IP, Hari R, Sams M, Nummenmaa L
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
Publication year: 2017
Journal: Cerebral Cortex
Journal name in source: CEREBRAL CORTEX
Journal acronym: CEREB CORTEX
Volume: 27
Issue: 8
First page : 4257
Last page: 4266
Number of pages: 10
ISSN: 1047-3211
eISSN: 1460-2199
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhx129
Web address : https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/27/8/4257/3852212/Dissociable-Roles-of-Cerebral-Opioid-and-Type-2
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/26223061
Neuroimaging studies have shown that seeing others in pain activates brain regions that are involved in first-hand pain, suggesting that shared neuromolecular pathways support processing of first-hand and vicarious pain. We tested whether the dopamine and opioid neurotransmitter systems involved in nociceptive processing also contribute to vicarious pain experience. We used in vivo positron emission tomography to quantify type 2 dopamine and mu-opioid receptor (D2R and MOR, respectively) availabilities in brains of 35 subjects. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, the subjects watched short movie clips depicting persons in painful and painless situations. Painful scenes activated pain-responsive brain regions including anterior insulae, thalamus and secondary somatosensory cortices, as well as posterior superior temporal sulci. MOR availability correlated negatively with the haemodynamic responses during painful scenes in anterior and posterior insulae, thalamus, secondary and primary somatosensory cortices, primary motor cortex, and superior temporal sulci. MOR availability correlated positively with orbitofrontal haemodynamic responses during painful scenes. D2R availability was not correlated with the haemodynamic responses in any brain region. These results suggest that the opioid system contributes to neural processing of vicarious pain, and that interindividual differences in opioidergic system could explain why some individuals react more strongly than others to seeing pain.
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