Circuit mechanisms of attentional interference by pain stimuli: analysis using mouse cortical imaging

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06518
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Hishida Ryuichi 新潟大学, 脳研究所, 准教授 (90313551)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 神経科学 / 脳・神経 / 生理学 / 可視化 / 認知科学 / 痛覚 / フラビン蛋白質イメージング / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although it is known that pain stimuli interfere with the higher-order function of attention, the neural circuit mechanism of this interference is unknown. Therefore, we hypothesized that "there is a dense inhibitory projection from the association area network that processes pain information to each sensory cortex. And the sensory cortex inhibition by the retrograde projection is the mechanism of attentional interference by pain stimuli," and proceeded with the analysis using a technique called cortical imaging in anesthetized mice. The results showed that (1) the parietal association cortex routinely suppresses the somatosensory cortex's pain response, (2) the efficiency of sensory cortex suppression by the parietal association cortex varies according to modality, suggesting that the suppression mechanism differs, and (3) the frontal association cortex also routinely suppresses the somatosensory cortex's pain response.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトは不意に足の小指をぶつけると、突然の痛みに注意が奪われてしまう。痛覚は生存にとって極めて重要な情報なので、注意を強烈に引き付けて現在行っている認知活動を中断し、痛みへの対応を最優先にするような仕組みが進化したと考えられる。では一体、いかなる神経回路メカニズムによって痛覚刺激は注意を奪うのだろうか？本研究では、仮説「痛覚情報を処理する連合野ネットワークから全感覚野には密な抑制性投射が存在し、その逆行性投射による感覚野抑制が、痛覚刺激による注意干渉のメカニズムである」の検証を試み、頭頂連合野や前頭連合野が定常的に体性感覚野の痛覚応答を抑制していることなど、仮説を支持する結果が得られた。