Functional mapping of pain-related activation with echo-planar MRI: significance of the SII-insular region

Activation in numerous regions of the brain is likely to be involved in the complex neural network function of pain perception. To detect the cortical representation during nonpainful and painful stimuli, which were presented using electrical finger stimulation in six normal right-handed male volunteers, we performed echo-planar functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using a 1.5-T MR system that scanned the supratentorial region of the brain, we obtained multislice BOLD-based functional MR images with single-shot gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI). The data show that dispersed brain regions are activated during painful stimulation, and especially demonstrate the significance of the SII-insular region in pain perception.