Article (Scientific journals)
Cortical processing of noxious somatosensory stimuli in the persistent vegetative state
Laureys, Steven; Faymonville, Marie-Elisabeth; Peigneux, Philippe et al.
2002In NeuroImage, 17 (2), p. 732-741
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
348.pdf
Publisher postprint (1.1 MB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Abstract :
[en] The persistent vegetative state (PVS) is a devastating medical condition characterized by preserved wakefulness contrasting with absent voluntary interaction with the environment. We used positron emission tomography to assess the central processing of noxious somatosensory stimuli in the PVS. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow were measured during high-intensity electrical stimulation of the median nerve compared with rest in 15 nonsedated patients and in 15 healthy controls. Evoked potentials were recorded simultaneously. The stimuli were experienced as highly unpleasant to painful in controls. Brain glucose metabolism was also studied with [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose in resting conditions. In PVS patients, overall cerebral metabolism was 40% of normal values. Nevertheless, noxious somatosensory stimulation-activated midbrain, contralateral thalamus, and primary somatosensory cortex in each and every PVS patient, even in the absence of detectable cortical evoked potentials. Secondary somatosensory, bilateral insular, posterior parietal, and anterior cingulate cortices did not show activation in any patient. Moreover, in PVS patients, the activated primary somatosensory cortex was functionally disconnected from secondary somatosensory, bilateral posterior parietal, premotor, polysensory superior temporal, and prefrontal cortices. In conclusion, somatosensory stimulation of PVS patients, at intensities that elicited pain in controls, resulted in increased neuronal activity in primary somatosensory cortex, even if resting brain metabolism was severely impaired. However, this activation of primary cortex seems to be isolated and dissociated from higher-order associative cortices. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Laureys, Steven  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Faymonville, Marie-Elisabeth ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de médecine) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)
Peigneux, Philippe ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Département des sciences cognitives
Damas, Pierre ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Anesthésie et réanimation
Lambermont, Bernard  ;  Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Frais communs médecine
Del Fiore, Guy
Degueldre, Christian ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Aerts, Joël ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Luxen, André ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie organique de synthèse - Centre de recherches du cyclotron
Franck, Georges ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)
Lamy, Maurice ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Anesthésie et réanimation
Moonen, Gustave  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Neurologie - Doyen de la Faculté de Médecine
Maquet, Pierre  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre de recherches du cyclotron
More authors (3 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
Cortical processing of noxious somatosensory stimuli in the persistent vegetative state
Publication date :
October 2002
Journal title :
NeuroImage
ISSN :
1053-8119
eISSN :
1095-9572
Publisher :
Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science, San Diego, United States - California
Volume :
17
Issue :
2
Pages :
732-741
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 04 November 2008

Statistics


Number of views
190 (29 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
7 (7 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
351
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
256
OpenCitations
 
24

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi