Dissociation between individual differences in self-reported pain intensity and underlying fMRI brain activation

M. E. Hoeppli (), H. Nahman-Averbuch, W. A. Hinkle, E. Leon, J. Peugh, M. Lopez-Sola, C. D. King, K. R. Goldschneider and R. C. Coghill
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M. E. Hoeppli: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
H. Nahman-Averbuch: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
W. A. Hinkle: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
E. Leon: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
J. Peugh: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
M. Lopez-Sola: University of Barcelona
C. D. King: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
K. R. Goldschneider: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
R. C. Coghill: Pediatric Pain Research Center (PPRC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Pain is an individual experience. Previous studies have highlighted changes in brain activation and morphology associated with within- and interindividual pain perception. In this study we sought to characterize brain mechanisms associated with between-individual differences in pain in a sample of healthy adolescent and adult participants (N = 101). Here we show that pain ratings varied widely across individuals and that individuals reported changes in pain evoked by small differences in stimulus intensity in a manner congruent with their pain sensitivity, further supporting the utility of subjective reporting as a measure of the true individual experience. Furthermore, brain activation related to interindividual differences in pain was not detected, despite clear sensitivity of the Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal to small differences in noxious stimulus intensities within individuals. These findings suggest fMRI may not be a useful objective measure to infer reported pain intensity.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31039-3

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