New technologies to investigate the brain-gut axis

Figure 2 The subcortical and cortical structures that have been shown to be activated in response to visceral pain. PAG: Periaqueductal grey; PB: Parabrachial nucleus of the dorsolateral pons; VMpo: Ventromedial part of the posterior thalamic nuclear complex; MDvc: Ventrocaudal part of the medial thalamic dorsal nucleus; VPL: Ventroposterior lateral thalamic nucleus; ACC: Anterior cingulate cortex; PCC: Posterior cingulate cortex; HT: Hypothalamus; S1, S2: First and second somatosensory cortical areas, respectively; PPC: Posterior parietal complex; SMA: Supplementary motor area; AMYG: Amygdala; PF: Prefrontal cortex; M1: Motor cortex. (Adapted from Price DD. Psychological and neural mechanisms of the affective dimension of pain. Science 2000; 288: 1769-1772).