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Thermonociceptive stimuli preferentially modulate theta and alpha oscillations in the human posterior insula: evidence from intracerebral recordings

Giulia Liberati1*, Maxime Algoet1, Susana Ferrao Santos2, Jose Geraldo Ribeiro-Vaz2, Christian Raftopoulos2 and André Mouraux1
  • 1 Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
  • 2 Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Belgium

The human insula is an important target for spinothalamic input, but there is still no consensus on its role in pain perception and nociception. In this study, we show that the human insula exhibits activity preferential for sustained thermonociception. Using intracerebral EEG recorded from the insula of 8 patients (Fig. 1) undergoing a presurgical evaluation of focal epilepsy (53 contacts: 27 anterior, 26 posterior), we “frequency-tagged” the insular activity elicited by sustained thermonociceptive and vibrotactile stimuli, by periodically modulating stimulation intensity at a fixed frequency of 0.2 Hz during 75 seconds (Fig. 2). Both types of stimuli elicited an insular response at the frequency of stimulation (0.2 Hz) and its harmonics (Fig. 3), whose magnitude was significantly greater in the posterior insula compared to the anterior insula (Fig. 4). Compared to vibrotactile stimulation, thermonociceptive stimulation exerted a markedly greater 0.2 Hz modulation of ongoing theta-band (4-8 Hz) and alpha-band (8-12 Hz) oscillations (Fig. 5). These modulations were also more prominent in the posterior insula compared to the anterior insula (Fig. 6). The identification of oscillatory activities preferential for thermonociception could lead to new insights into the physiological mechanisms of nociception and pain perception in humans.

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Keywords: Pain, Nociception, insula, Intracerebral EEG recordings, Perception, neural oscillation

Conference: Belgian Brain Congress 2018 — Belgian Brain Council, LIEGE, Belgium, 19 Oct - 19 Oct, 2018.

Presentation Type: e-posters

Topic: NOVEL STRATEGIES FOR NEUROLOGICAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS: SCIENTIFIC BASIS AND VALUE FOR PATIENT-CENTERED CARE

Citation: Liberati G, Algoet M, Ferrao Santos S, Ribeiro-Vaz J, Raftopoulos C and Mouraux A (2019). Thermonociceptive stimuli preferentially modulate theta and alpha oscillations in the human posterior insula: evidence from intracerebral recordings. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Belgian Brain Congress 2018 — Belgian Brain Council. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2018.95.00032

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Received: 13 Aug 2018; Published Online: 17 Jan 2019.

* Correspondence: Dr. Giulia Liberati, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, giulia.liberati@uclouvain.be