The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex is selective for pain: Results from large-scale reverse inference

Significance No neural region has been associated with more conflicting accounts of its function than the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), with claims that it contributes to executive processing, conflict monitoring, pain, and salience. However, these claims are based on forward inference analysis, which is the wrong tool for making such claims. Using Neurosynth, an automated brainmapping database, we performed reverse inference analyses to explore the best psychological account of dACC function. Although forward inference analyses reproduced the findings that many processes activate the dACC, reverse inference analyses demonstrated that the dACC is selective for pain and that pain-related terms were the single best reverse inference for this region. This finding has implications for our understanding of pain and distress-related psychological disorders. Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation is commonly observed in studies of pain, executive control, conflict monitoring, and salience processing, making it difficult to interpret the dACC’s specific psychological function. Using Neurosynth, an automated brainmapping database [of over 10,000 functional MRI (fMRI) studies], we performed quantitative reverse inference analyses to explore the best general psychological account of the dACC function P(Ψ process|dACC activity). Results clearly indicated that the best psychological description of dACC function was related to pain processing—not executive, conflict, or salience processing. We conclude by considering that physical pain may be an instance of a broader class of survival-relevant goals monitored by the dACC, in contrast to more arbitrary temporary goals, which may be monitored by the supplementary motor area.