The involvement of the posterior cingulate gyrus in phasic pain processing of humans

Cingulate cortex (CC) processing of phasic pain starts in caudal parts. This is evidenced by electrical brain source analysis (BESA(R)) and current reconstruction imaging (CURRY(R)) which identify the activated neuronal assemblies in the individual brain morphology, including the boundary element method for volume current calculation. Data were obtained from 30 subjects who experienced, in repeated sessions, infrared laser stimuli applied on temple, hand, and foot, or electrical shocks applied intracutaneously on finger tip. CC activity started around 230 ms (+/-20 ms; inter-subject SD.) and was localized in mid or posterior CC, in general in Brodmann's area 23 (intra-subject SD <5 mm; inter-subject SD <15 mm), independent of the kind and body site of noxious stimulation.

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