Cognitive neuroscience investigations of the role of the somatosensory system in health and disease
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Psychological Sciences
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
There has been a recent surge in the number of studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the cortical and subcortical processing of somatosensation (including, touch, pain and thermosensation) in the human brain. These studies have benefited from the advent of vibrotactile and thermal stimulus delivery systems able to work within MR environments but with precise (electrically-driven) stimulus control capabilities. The proposed research will make use of such devices to investigate the neurophysiological and neuropsychological basis of tactile and nociceptive processing in both healthy controls and patients with somatic disorders. Specifically, in collaboration with expert colleagues in the fields of tactile attention, clinical somatoform disorder and clinical pain we aim to develop a programme of research investigating how the tactile and nociceptive systems function normally when attending and responding to stimulation of the body: using both behavioural measures of performance and neuroimaging measures of brain activity. We will begin by investigating the neurophysiological and neuropsychological interaction between touch and pain within the human brain, with a particular focus on the parietal lobes (anterior and posterior). Previous functional imaging studies have positied a role for the parietal lobes in the human perception of pain but acknowledge the functional heterogeneity of this area. For example, re-organisation within primary somatosensory cortex is believed to contribute to Phantom Limb Pain, whilst disruption of sensory input from the thalamus to the parietal opercular region (either through lesion or tumour compression) causes severe pain in extremities (so called `Central Pain¿ or `Post-Stroke Pain¿) and loss of normal tactile sensation. Similarly, area 7b in the posterior parietal cortex has been implicated not only in the ability to perceive pain, but also in the ability to attend to a painful stimulus on the body, to predict the sensory consequences of an upcoming painful event and the multisensory representation of pain. Our aim is to investigate whether the attentional modulation of pain and touch is disrupted in patients with somatic disorders (for which an adequate organic explanation for the symptoms cannot be found) as we suggest that abnormal inhibitory attentional mechanisms (through the parietal lobes and their outputs to the prefrontal and anterior cingulated cortices) may be responsible for conditions such as non-specific low back pain and medically unexplained symptoms.
Publications
Mirams L
(2013)
Brief body-scan meditation practice improves somatosensory perceptual decision making.
in Consciousness and cognition
Mirams L
(2012)
Interoceptive and exteroceptive attention have opposite effects on subsequent somatosensory perceptual decision making.
in Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)
Mirams L
(2010)
Vision of the body increases interference on the somatic signal detection task.
in Experimental brain research
McKenzie KJ
(2012)
Investigating the mechanisms of visually-evoked tactile sensations.
in Acta psychologica
McKenzie KJ
(2010)
Now you feel it, now you don't: how robust is the phenomenon of illusory tactile experience?
in Perception
Lloyd DM
(2008)
Development of a paradigm for measuring somatic disturbance in clinical populations with medically unexplained symptoms.
in Journal of psychosomatic research
Lloyd DM
(2011)
Neural correlates of an illusory touch experience investigated with fMRI.
in Neuropsychologia
Cody FW
(2008)
Tactile spatial acuity varies with site and axis in the human upper limb.
in Neuroscience letters
Brown RJ
(2010)
Illusory touch and tactile perception in somatoform dissociators.
in Journal of psychosomatic research
Brown RJ
(2012)
Physical symptom reporting is associated with a tendency to experience somatosensory distortion.
in Psychosomatic medicine
Description | The research funded by this grant allowed us to purchase a specialist piece of equipment that permitted us to investigate the brain mechanisms involved when someone correctly or incorrectly perceives a touch stimulus. We were able to secure additional 3-years of funding and published several papers on this work. |
Exploitation Route | The work started in this grant has impacted on clinical psychologists in their understanding of the somatisensory system in disease and the paradigm developed is being used by several international labs. |
Sectors | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | The money from this grant allowed us to purchase specialist equipment that has since been used to attract additional funding and publish several papers on the neurobiological basis of somatosensory perception in health and disease that has impacted on the understanding of medically unexplained symptoms by clinical psychology. |
First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
Sector | Healthcare |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Project grant |
Amount | £126,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2008 |
End | 03/2011 |
Title | MR-compatible vibrotactile stimulation |
Description | The research method using highly controlled vibrotactile stimulation to record brain activity in response to touch with fMRI. |
Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This method has allowed us to secure further funding for experiments into the brain mechanisms of somatosensory health and disease. |
Description | Big Brain Summer School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Hands-on demonstrations of tactile sensory illusions - sparked questions and discussion. Applications from A-level students interested in working in the lab over the summer. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2009 |