Open AccessRole of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Translational Pain Research
Author(s) -
Xiao Xiao,
Ming Ding,
YuQiu Zhang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
neuroscience bulletin/neuroscience bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1673-7067
pISSN - 1995-8218
DOI - 10.1007/s12264-020-00615-2
Subject(s) - anterior cingulate cortex , neuroscience , pain medicine , noxious stimulus , neuromodulation , chronic pain , cingulate cortex , medicine , neuropathic pain , neurology , nociception , psychology , cognition , stimulation , anesthesia , anesthesiology , central nervous system , receptor
As the most common symptomatic reason to seek medical consultation, pain is a complex experience that has been classified into different categories and stages. In pain processing, noxious stimuli may activate the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). But the function of ACC in the different pain conditions is not well discussed. In this review, we elaborate the commonalities and differences from accumulated evidence by a variety of pain assays for physiological pain and pathological pain including inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, and cancer pain in the ACC, and discuss the cellular receptors and signaling molecules from animal studies. We further summarize the ACC as a new central neuromodulation target for invasive and non-invasive stimulation techniques in clinical pain management. The comprehensive understanding of pain processing in the ACC may lead to bridging the gap in translational research between basic and clinical studies and to develop new therapies.