Subscribe to RSS
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1216199
Prestimulus cerebral connectivity determines pain perception in humans
The perception of pain does not only depend on sensory information but can be substantially influenced by the individual susceptibility to pain. However, how the susceptibility to a sensory event translates to brain activity is largely unknown. Here, we report that the cerebral connectivity before a sensory event reflects the susceptibility to a subsequent noxious stimulus. Particularly, the prestimulus connectivity among brain areas related to the subjective perception of the body and to the modulation of pain determines the perception of pain. These effects of prestimulus connectivity on pain perception covary with pain-relevant personality traits. More anxious and attentive individuals display weaker descending connectivity to pain modulatory brain areas. Thus, variations in cerebral connectivity may underlie personality-related differences in the individual susceptibility to pain.