Communication of brain areas during the processing of noxious intracutaneous stimuli in patients with major depression and normal controls

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Communication of brain areas during the processing of noxious intracutaneous stimuli in patients with major depression and normal controls Lutz Leistritz1*, Thomas Lehmann1, Jaroslav Ionov1, Karl-Jürgen Bär1 and Thomas Weiss1 1 Radboud University, Netherlands Aim: It has been found in clinical practice that depression is a common comorbidity of chronic pain. Conversely, chronic pain represents a common additional symptom of depressed patients. We hypothesized that the processing in the so-called "pain matrix" might be different in patients with major depression (MD). The study investigates the processing of noxious stimuli and interactions within the pain matrix in patients with MD by means of generalized partial directed coherence (gPDC). Methods: 16 patients with MD and 16 controls underwent stimulations on both the right and left middle finger with moderately painful intracutaneous electrical stimuli. The connectivity analysis was based the nine selected EEG electrodes F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, and P4. These electrodes were chosen in order to minimize the dimensionality, and because they are situated above important regions of pain processing, attention, and depression. The relevant frequency range for the connectivity analysis based on the evoked potentials is the delta-, theta- and the alpha-band (1 to 13 Hz, -700 to 0 ms pre-stimulus, 0 to 700 ms post-stimulus). For a consolidated analysis, the mean gPDCs of these frequencies were considered. Surrogate data were utilized to identify significant interactions. Missing values (appr. 3%) were multiple imputed by conditionally specified logistic regression models. Results: We could show stimulus-induced changes of the gPDC in a pre/post stimulus comparison and changes in the connectivity pattern in the post stimulus condition. Furthermore, we could identify network changes correlating to the side stimulated, as well as differences between the controls and MD patients. In a pre/post stimulus comparison, one can observe that patients with MD show less changes in comparison to the controls. In the post-stimulus condition, we can observe both group and side differences in the network structure. Considering the total number of interactions, we could not identify significant changes in the MD group, while we found a significant increase in the control group post stimulus. Conclusion: The gPDC shows networks that include both an attentional area, especially in the frontal regions, as well as a nociceptive area, containing connections in the centroparietal region. Differences between groups in the posterior region might be explained by differences in attentional processes, in processes of stimulus evaluation, or by a temporoparietal dysfunction in depressive patients. Acknowledgments: Bernstein Group 01GQ0703, COST Action BM0601 NEUROMATH. Conference: NeuroMath COST Action BM0601: Neurodynamic Insight into Functional Connectivity, Cognition, and Consciousness, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 27 Mar - 28 Mar, 2010. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Talks Citation: Leistritz L, Lehmann T, Ionov J, Bär K and Weiss T (2010). Communication of brain areas during the processing of noxious intracutaneous stimuli in patients with major depression and normal controls. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: NeuroMath COST Action BM0601: Neurodynamic Insight into Functional Connectivity, Cognition, and Consciousness. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.05.00011 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 24 Jul 2010; Published Online: 24 Jul 2010. * Correspondence: Lutz Leistritz, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands, Lutz.Leistritz@mti.uni-jena.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Lutz Leistritz Thomas Lehmann Jaroslav Ionov Karl-Jürgen Bär Thomas Weiss Google Lutz Leistritz Thomas Lehmann Jaroslav Ionov Karl-Jürgen Bär Thomas Weiss Google Scholar Lutz Leistritz Thomas Lehmann Jaroslav Ionov Karl-Jürgen Bär Thomas Weiss PubMed Lutz Leistritz Thomas Lehmann Jaroslav Ionov Karl-Jürgen Bär Thomas Weiss Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.