Abstract #3290

Pfleiderer B, Pogatzki-Zahn E, Zahn P, Meinhardt A, Wagner C

Little is known about the functional significance of distinct brain regions after tissue injuries like postoperative pain. The activation of different brain areas after an experimental surgical incision was assessed. A distinct temporal profile of activity within specific brain regions occurred: 0-2 min after incision an increasing activation of the limbic system (BA23/24) was observed. During incision there was an activation of frontal brain regions (BA 6-9). Peak brain activity occurred 4.5-10 min after incision and subsequently neuronal activity decreased. There was a strong correlation 0-10 min after incision between non-evoked pain ratings during incision and ventrolateral thalamus activation