Anticipatory Brain Responses and Expectancy Effects on Pain: Theory, Research Findings and Functional Networks

Brown, Christopher ORCID: 0000-0003-1414-2635 (2017) Anticipatory Brain Responses and Expectancy Effects on Pain: Theory, Research Findings and Functional Networks. In: Neuroimaging of Pain. Springer International Publishing, pp. 123-152. ISBN 9783319480442

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Abstract

Pain is broadly recognised to have an important evolutionary function in preventing bodily harm, and hence neural learning mechanisms have evolved to prepare organisms to avoid physical danger. Learned pain expectancies trigger anticipatory neural responses that result in changes in perception, emotion and behaviour. Such changes are adaptive for avoiding acute injury but can be maladaptive in clinical conditions in which pain is chronic. This chapter will review the use of neuroimaging as a research method for understanding anticipation and expectancy effects on pain. These observations have inspired a body of work over the last two decades focussing on identifying the neural mechanisms by which cognitive expectancies influence pain perception. Brain responses to pain anticipation, and changes in subsequent nociceptive processing, have been investigated to identify possible neural mediators of expectancy effects on pain, and have proven to be relevant to understanding placebo analgesia and its opposite, the nocebo effect. The chapter will discuss the concept of uncertainty and its theoretically supported role in modulating pain anticipation and expectancy effects on pain. In particular, evidence suggests that certain expectations have the greatest impact on pain perception. Hence, identification of the neural mechanisms supporting (un)certainty in expectation would be of great interest in helping to develop novel therapeutic strategies for chronic pain. Towards this end, the chapter will explore the role of different functional networks in mediating the effects of expectation and certainty on pain.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Neurosciences, Mind and Body, Basic Behavioral and Social Science, Complementary and Integrative Health, Behavioral and Social Science, Chronic Pain, Pain Research, 2 Aetiology, 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors, 1 Underpinning research, 1.2 Psychological and socioeconomic processes, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning, Neurological, Mental health, 3 Good Health and Well Being
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2016 16:05
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2024 20:17
DOI:	10.1007/978-3-319-48046-6_6
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3004344