• Changjae Kim, Joongbaek Kim, Hyunjae Chang, Dakyung Hong, Sanghyun Hong, and Hosik Moon.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03312, Republic of Korea.
• Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 May 29; 59 (6).

AbstractThe exact mechanism involved in the development of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is not yet known. The objective of this study was to evaluate longitudinal functional connectivity (FC) changes in the neuroimaging case series of patients with acute herpes zoster (HZ). Cases: This study included five patients who had symptoms of HZ. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at enrollment and 3 months to determine FC changes. Of the five patients, three developed PHN. In the PHN subjects, the FC of the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were activated. The left SFG is known to contribute to higher cognitive functions and working memory. The right IFG is associated with pain processing and empathy for pain. Conclusions: Although only a few patients were enrolled in this study, the PHN could be affected by pain itself, as well as pain memory and psychological aspects such as empathy for pain.

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