Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29876878›Full record

ReviewMolecular neurobiology2019

Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Pain Processing.

Wei-Yi Ong, Christian S Stohler, Deron R Herr

Registry-linked trialOpen access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular neurobiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06834685 (Evaluating Laser Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain in Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 407 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
407citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
24.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06834685 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Evaluating Laser Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain in Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy: a Randomized, Non-comparative, Placebo-controlled, Single-blinded, Phase II Clinical Trial in Cancer Patients

TypeinterventionalSponsorInstitut du Cancer de Montpellier - Val d'AurelleRan2025 to 2028Enrolled70ConditionsCancer Survivors, Peripheral Neuropathic PainArmsPhotobiomodulation sessions
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

407 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 715 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Efficacy of neuromodulation and rehabilitation approaches on pain relief in patients with spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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  18. Pilot trial testing the effects of exercise on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) and the interoceptive brain system.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
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347 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Wei-Yi OngDepartment of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Singapore. wei_yi_ong@nuhs.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9756-7772
Christian S StohlerCollege of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
Deron R HerrDepartment of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Singapore. phcdrh@nus.edu.sg.
National University of Singapore · SGColumbia University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is not only important in executive functions, but also pain processing. The latter is dependent on its connections to other areas of the cerebral neocortex, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), thalamus, amygdala, and basal nuclei. Changes in neurotransmitters, gene expression, glial cells, and neuroinflammation occur in the PFC during acute and chronic pain, that result in alterations to its structure, activity, and connectivity. The medial PFC (mPFC) could serve dual, opposing roles in pain: (1) it mediates antinociceptive effects, due to its connections with other cortical areas, and as the main source of cortical afferents to the PAG for modulation of pain. This is a 'loop' where, on one side, a sensory stimulus is transformed into a perceptual signal through high brain processing activity, and perceptual activity is then utilized to control the flow of afferent sensory stimuli at their entrance (dorsal horn) to the CNS. (2) It could induce pain chronification via its corticostriatal projection, possibly depending on the level of dopamine receptor activation (or lack of) in the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens reward pathway. The PFC is involved in biopsychosocial pain management. This includes repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, antidepressants, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, music, exercise, partner support, empathy, meditation, and prayer. Studies demonstrate the role of the PFC during placebo analgesia, and in establishing links between pain and depression, anxiety, and loss of cognition. In particular, losses in PFC grey matter are often reversible after successful treatment of chronic pain.

Indexed as

AnimalsDopamineHumansNeural PathwaysPainPain PerceptionPrefrontal CortexDopamineAntinociceptionNociceptionPainPrefrontal cortex

Identifiers

PMID29876878
PMCPMC6400876
OpenAlexW2807426801

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.