Understanding functional network properties of the periaqueductal gray in descending pain modulation in endometriosis: comparing resting state and pain-task environments
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Abstract
Endometriosis is a highly prevalent condition that impacts roughly 1 in 10 women worldwide. A frequently reported symptom of endometriosis is pain which for many can be debilitating. Chronic exposure to pain is known to impact the central nervous system, but it is unclear how pain modulation occurs in the brain in individuals with endometriosis. The Periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a brain region associated in descending pain modulation. However, it remains unclear how descending pain modulation implicates the functional networking of PAG in pain and non-pain states. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional networks associated with PAG activity during rest and task-based environments in persons with surgically confirmed endometriosis and healthy controls. The PAG was found to increase in functional network connectivity during task instances. Further, patients with endometriosis were shown to have higher instances of functional connectivity both at rest and during task. Task and resting state differences provide insight into how a series of thermal pain paradigms instigate functional network connectivity of the PAG while cohort differences demonstrate how functional network connectivity is altered under conditions of chronic pain.
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2024