Original ResearchBasic and Translational—Alimentary TractNeuroticism Influences Brain Activity During the Experience of Visceral Pain
Section snippets
Volunteers
Thirty-one healthy volunteers (15 male; mean age, 30 years; range, 22–38 years; all right-handed) participated in the study after providing informed written consent and approval was obtained from the local ethics committee (reference CREC/07/08-7). All volunteers were screened for a history of psychiatric or gastrointestinal symptoms and were not taking any medications. Subjects completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R)21 to assess neuroticism level (neuroticism range,
Group Psychometric Data
All 31 volunteers tolerated the study well. There was a wide range of neuroticism scores (mean, 8.1 ± 1.2; range, 0–22) with no significant difference between male and female subjects (mean neuroticism ± SEM; male, 9 ± 1.7 [range, 0–20]; female, 7.4 ± 1.4 [range, 1–20]; P = .49, t = 0.68, df 29). There was also a scope of state/trait anxiety scores across the group (mean state anxiety, 29.7 ± 1.2 [range, 20–41]; mean trait anxiety, 34.4 ± 1.7 [range, 20–58]).
Group Physiologic Data
All volunteers rated the esophageal
Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a significant effect of neuroticism on brain processing during visceral pain stimulation and anticipation. The level of brain activity during anticipation and pain varied depending on neuroticism score in several brain regions previously shown to be involved in pain processing, including the mid-ACC (BA24), perigenual ACC (BA32), insula, thalamus, inferior frontal gyrus, PCC, and supplementary motor area (SMA).
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Conflicts of interest The authors disclose the following: Q.A. has received educational grants from GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Novartis, none of which are relevant to the work described in this report. S.J.C., M.K. A.D.F., V.K., V.G., M.B., and S.C.R.W. disclose no conflicts.
Funding Supported jointly by a Medical Research Council grant (to Q.A.) and a British Academy grant (to S.J.C.).