Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1-3
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-11-27
pubmed:abstractText
The anti-migraine drug sumatriptan often induces unpleasant somatosensory side effects, including a dislike of being touched. With a double-blind cross-over design, we studied the effects of sumatriptan and saline on perception (visual analogue scale) and cortical processing (functional magnetic resonance imaging) of tactile stimulation in healthy subjects. Soft brush stroking on the calf (n=6) was less pleasant (p<0.04) and evoked less activation of posterior insular cortex in the sumatriptan compared to the saline condition. Soft brushing activated pain processing regions (anterior insular, lateral orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortices, and medial thalamus) only in the sumatriptan condition, whereas activation of somatosensory cortices was similar in both conditions. Soft brush stroking on the palm (n=6) was equally pleasant in both conditions. One possible mechanism for the activation of pain processing regions by brush stroking is sensitization of nociceptors by sumatriptan. Another possibility is inhibition of a recently discovered system of low-threshold unmyelinated tactile (CT) afferents that are present in hairy skin only, project to posterior insular cortex, and serve affective aspects of tactile sensation. An inhibition of impulse transmission in the CT system by sumatriptan could disinhibit nociceptive signalling and make light touch less pleasant. This latter alternative is consistent with the observed reduction in posterior insular cortex activation and the selective effects of stimulation on hairy compared to glabrous skin, which are not explained by the nociceptor sensitization account.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
1872-6623
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
133
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
72-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Brain Mapping, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Cerebral Cortex, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Cross-Over Studies, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Double-Blind Method, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Female, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Magnetic Resonance Imaging, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Male, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Oxygen, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Pain, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Pain Measurement, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Pain Threshold, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Physical Stimulation, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Serotonin Receptor Agonists, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Skin, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Sumatriptan, pubmed-meshheading:17449179-Touch
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Activation of the cortical pain network by soft tactile stimulation after injection of sumatriptan.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. hekr@neuro.gu.se
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Clinical Trial, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't