4.8 Article

Widespread nociceptive maps in the human neonatal somatosensory cortex

Journal

ELIFE
Volume 11, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

eLIFE SCIENCES PUBL LTD
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.71655

Keywords

infant; pain; brain; somatotopy; topography; development; Human

Categories

Funding

  1. Medical Research Council [MR/M006468/1, MR/L019248/1, MR/S003207/1]
  2. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/N025946/1]

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Topographic cortical maps are crucial for spatial localization of sensory stimulation and generation of appropriate motor responses. In adult somatosensory (S1) cortex, somatosensation and nociception are finely mapped and aligned. However, in infancy, when pain behavior is disorganized and poorly directed, nociceptive maps may be less refined.
Topographic cortical maps are essential for spatial localisation of sensory stimulation and generation of appropriate task-related motor responses. Somatosensation and nociception are finely mapped and aligned in the adult somatosensory (S1) cortex, but in infancy, when pain behaviour is disorganised and poorly directed, nociceptive maps may be less refined. We compared the topographic pattern of S1 activation following noxious (clinically required heel lance) and innocuous (touch) mechanical stimulation of the same skin region in newborn infants (n = 32) using multioptode functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Within S1 cortex, touch and lance of the heel elicit localised, partially overlapping increases in oxygenated haemoglobin concentration (delta[HbO]), but while touch activation was restricted to the heel area, lance activation extended into cortical hand regions. The data reveals a widespread cortical nociceptive map in infant S1, consistent with their poorly directed pain behaviour.

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