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Evoked potentials generated by noxious stimulation in the human infant brain
Author(s) -
Slater Rebeccah,
Worley Alan,
Fabrizi Lorenzo,
Roberts Siân,
Meek Judith,
Boyd Stewart,
Fitzgerald Maria
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejpain.2009.05.005
Subject(s) - noxious stimulus , nociception , brainstem , neuroscience , stimulation , psychology , sensory system , stimulus (psychology) , electroencephalography , medicine , anesthesia , receptor , psychotherapist
While human infants can display distinctive behavioural and physiological spinal cord and brainstem responses to noxious stimulation, it is not known whether cortical neurons are specifically activated by noxious stimuli in newborns. Here, using a novel approach to time‐lock an EEG recording to a clinically required heel lance, we show the presence of a distinct nociceptive‐specific potential in newborn infants (35–39 weeks postmenstrual age). The potential can be observed in single trials in the central electrodes (Cz and CPz) and using principal component analysis is characterised by a positivity that occurs at approximately 560 ms post‐stimulus (N420–P560; P, positive; N, negative). The magnitude of the nociceptive‐specific potential is not dependent on sleep state, whereas an earlier potential (N150–P260–N430), which is sleep‐state dependent, is evoked by both noxious and non‐noxious stimulation. These results provide the first direct evidence of specific noxious‐evoked neural activity in the infant brain and suggest that newborn infants are capable of the sensory‐discriminative aspects of pain experience.