Topographically selective motor inhibition under threat of pain
The ability to anticipate pain is essential for survival. It helps us quickly select defensive responses to reduce physical harm and, even more importantly, to avoid future injury. This process largely relies on learning: the brain uses past experiences to recognize signals that predict potential danger.
A recent study published in Pain, the journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), explored how the motor system reacts when we expect to feel pain. This research, conducted by Dr. Sonia Betti from the Department of General Psychology in collaboration with Prof. Giuseppe di Pellegrino and Dr. Francesca Starita from the University of Bologna, investigated how the motor system responds when anticipating pain in a specific body side and muscle.
In the experiment, participants were shown visual stimuli that could predict whether or not they would receive a painful stimulation on the arm or hand, either on the right or left side of the body. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation, the researchers measured motor cortex activity while participants anticipated pain.
The results revealed that pain anticipation triggers motor inhibition that is "mapped" based on the body region involved. The study showed that the motor system responds differently to stimuli associated with pain compared to neutral stimuli, and based on the side of the body where pain is expected. Interestingly, this inhibitory response appears to develop in the absence of actual pain, arising instead from the mere idea that pain might occur or recur, especially in individuals with higher levels of trait anxiety.
A deeper understanding of how the motor system responds to pain could have significant clinical implications. While certain motor adaptations are useful for avoiding immediate harm after acute pain, if these are prolonged over time they can become maladaptive, contributing to chronic conditions. Studying these mechanisms may pave the way for developing more effective treatments for pain-related disorders.
Link to the article:
https://journals.lww.com/pain/fulltext/2024/12000/topographically_select...
Betti, Sonia; Badioli, Marco; Dalbagno, Daniela; Garofalo, Sara; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe; Starita, Francesca. (2024). Topographically selective motor inhibition under threat of pain. PAIN 165(12), 2851-2862. DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003301
