The distribution of pain activity across the human neonatal brain is sex dependent

NeuroImage
Madeleine VerriotisMaria Fitzgerald

Abstract

In adults, there are differences between male and female structural and functional brain connectivity, specifically for those regions involved in pain processing. This may partly explain the observed sex differences in pain sensitivity, tolerance, and inhibitory control, and in the development of chronic pain. However, it is not known if these differences exist from birth. Cortical activity in response to a painful stimulus can be observed in the human neonatal brain, but this nociceptive activity continues to develop in the postnatal period and is qualitatively different from that of adults, partly due to the considerable cortical maturation during this time. This research aimed to investigate the effects of sex and prematurity on the magnitude and spatial distribution pattern of the long-latency nociceptive event-related potential (nERP) using electroencephalography (EEG). We measured the cortical response time-locked to a clinically required heel lance in 81 neonates born between 29 and 42 weeks gestational age (median postnatal age 4 days). The results show that heel lance results in a spatially widespread nERP response in the majority of newborns. Importantly, a widespread pattern is significantly more likely to occur in f...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 7, 2020·The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume·Kimberly J Templeton
Jul 19, 2020·Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association·Maxwell J CorriganSusan B Fowler
Jan 18, 2019·Clinical Pharmacokinetics·Mari KinnunenMerja Kokki
Apr 12, 2021·Early Human Development·Britney BenoitMarsha Campbell-Yeo

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
imaging techniques

Software Mentioned

MATLAB
EEGLAB

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