Neuropharmacology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effects of analgesics on central processing of tonic pain: A cross-over placebo controlled study.
Opioids and antidepressants that inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake (SNRI) are recognized as analgesics to treat moderate to severe pain, but the central mechanisms underlying their analgesia remain unclear. This study investigated how brain activity at rest and exposed to tonic pain is modified by oxycodone (opioid) and venlafaxine (SNRI). ⋯ The decrease of activity within insula and inferior frontal gyrus is likely involved in pain inhibition due to oxycodone treatment, whereas the decrease in alpha activity is likely involved in pain inhibition due to venlafaxine treatment.