Journal of neuroscience methods
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jan 2018
Comparative StudyA comparison between the neural correlates of laser and electric pain stimulation and their modulation by expectation.
Pain is modulated by expectation. Event-related potential (ERP) studies of the influence of expectation on pain typically utilise laser heat stimulation to provide a controllable nociceptive-specific stimulus. Painful electric stimulation has a number of practical advantages, but is less nociceptive-specific. We compared the modulation of electric versus laser-evoked pain by expectation, and their corresponding pain-evoked and anticipatory ERPs. ⋯ Though laser-evoked potentials express a stronger relationship with pain perception, both laser and electric stimulation may be used to study the modulation of pain-evoked potentials by expectation. Anticipatory-evoked potentials are elicited by both pain types, but they may reflect different processes.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jan 2018
Micropatterned surface electrode for massive selective stimulation of intraepidermal nociceptive fibres.
No satisfactory neurophysiological test for nociceptive afferents is available to date. Laser stimuli present risks of skin damage, whilst electrical stimulation through specially designed electrodes is not selective enough. ⋯ A new electrode providing selective stimulation of nociceptive nerve free endings is presented. It is non-invasive, and its surface can be enlarged at will. It is expected that it may greatly help in neurophysiological assessment of conditions affecting the nociceptive pathway.