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Functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the cortical processes involved in pain and touch using transcranial direct current stimulation

Cosse, Thérèse
(2020)

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Cosse_62671400_2020.pdf
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Details

Supervisors
Mouraux, André ; Lenoir, Cédric
Faculty
Faculté de médecine et médecine dentaire
Degree label
Master [180] en médecine
Abstract
The role of the primary somatosensory cortex in vibrotaction is well established, but his role in nociception is still a matter of debate. This study attempts to describe the role of the somatosensory cortex in nociception, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial direct current stimulation. Twenty-two healthy right-handed volunteers took part in this experiment: they received nociceptive laser and non-nociceptive transcutaneous electrical stimulations on both hands before and after high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) or sham stimulation. Statistical analysis investigated effects of HD-tDCS aimed at the primary somatosensory cortex on the fMRI cortical activity and on the subjects’ perception. There was no significant effect of HD-tDCS on both nociceptive and non-nociceptive stimuli perception. BOLD response elicited by non-nociceptive stimulations in S1 and the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) contralateral to the hand stimulated tended to increase when HD-tDCS was delivered to the same hemisphere and tended to decrease when HD-tDCS was delivered to the other hemisphere. This supports the idea that the non-nociceptive somatosensory information are processed serially from S1 to other regions, in this case S2, as it was the only region affected other than S1. These results are however not statistically significant.