Research Article

The human amygdala and pain: Evidence from neuroimaging

  1. Laura E. Simons1,2,3,*,
  2. Eric A. Moulton1,2,
  3. Clas Linnman1,2,
  4. Elizabeth Carpino2,
  5. Lino Becerra1,2,
  6. David Borsook1,2

Article first published online: 25 OCT 2012

DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22199

Additional Information

How to Cite

Simons, L. E., Moulton, E. A., Linnman, C., Carpino, E., Becerra, L. and Borsook, D. (2012), The human amygdala and pain: Evidence from neuroimaging. Hum. Brain Mapp.. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22199

Author Information

  1. 1

    P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

  2. 2

    Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

  3. 3

    Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

*Children's Hospital Boston 21 Autumn St. Boston, MA 02115

Publication History

  1. Article first published online: 25 OCT 2012
  2. Manuscript Accepted: 21 AUG 2012
  3. Manuscript Revised: 19 JUL 2012
  4. Manuscript Received: 11 APR 2012

Funded by

  • K23 career development award. Grant Number: HD067202
  • K01 career development award. Grant Number: DA024289
  • Early Career Grant and the Swedish Society for Medical Research (SSMF)
  • K24 Mentoring Grant. Grant Number: NINDS NS064050
  • the Sara Page Mayo Endowment for Pediatric Pain Research and Treatment, and the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston

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Keywords:

  • chronic pain;
  • fMRI;
  • PET;
  • meta-analysis;
  • experimental pain

Abstract

The amygdala, a small deep brain structure involved in behavioral processing through interactions with other brain regions, has garnered increased attention in recent years in relation to pain processing. As pain is a multidimensional experience that encompasses physical sensation, affect, and cognition, the amygdala is well suited to play a part in this process. Multiple neuroimaging studies of pain in humans have reported activation in the amygdala. Here, we summarize these studies by performing a coordinate-based meta-analysis within experimentally induced and clinical pain studies using an activation likelihood estimate analysis. The results are presented in relation to locations of peak activation within and outside of amygdala subregions. The majority of studies identified coordinates consistent with human amygdala cytoarchitecture indicating reproducibility in neuroanatomical labeling across labs, analysis methods, and imaging modalities. Differences were noted between healthy and clinical pain studies: in clinical pain studies, peak activation was located in the laterobasal region, suggestive of the cognitive-affective overlay present among individuals suffering from chronic pain; while the less understood superficial region of the amygdala was prominent among experimental pain studies. Taken together, these findings suggest several important directions for further research exploring the amygdala's role in pain processing. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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