Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review
Beyond labeled lines : A population coding account of the thermal grill illusion. / Fardo, Francesca; Beck, Brianna; Allen, Micah et al.
In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol. 108, 01.2020, p. 472-479.Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond labeled lines
T2 - A population coding account of the thermal grill illusion
AU - Fardo, Francesca
AU - Beck, Brianna
AU - Allen, Micah
AU - Finnerup, Nanna Brix
N1 - Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/1
Y1 - 2020/1
N2 - Heat and pain illusions (synthetic heat and the thermal grill illusion) can be generated by simultaneous cold and warm stimulation on the skin at temperatures that would normally be perceived as innocuous in isolation. Historically, two key questions have dominated the literature: which specific pathway conveys the illusory perceptions of heat and pain, and where, specifically, does the illusory pain originate in the central nervous system? Two major theories - the addition and disinhibition theories - have suggested distinct pathways, as well as specific spinal or supraspinal mechanisms. However, both theories fail to fully explain experimental findings on illusory heat and pain phenomena. We suggest that the disagreement between previous theories and experimental evidence can be solved by abandoning the assumption of one-to-one relations between pathways and perceived qualities. We argue that a population coding framework, based on distributed activity across non-nociceptive and nociceptive pathways, offers a more powerful explanation of illusory heat and pain. This framework offers new hypotheses regarding the neural mechanisms underlying temperature and pain perception.
AB - Heat and pain illusions (synthetic heat and the thermal grill illusion) can be generated by simultaneous cold and warm stimulation on the skin at temperatures that would normally be perceived as innocuous in isolation. Historically, two key questions have dominated the literature: which specific pathway conveys the illusory perceptions of heat and pain, and where, specifically, does the illusory pain originate in the central nervous system? Two major theories - the addition and disinhibition theories - have suggested distinct pathways, as well as specific spinal or supraspinal mechanisms. However, both theories fail to fully explain experimental findings on illusory heat and pain phenomena. We suggest that the disagreement between previous theories and experimental evidence can be solved by abandoning the assumption of one-to-one relations between pathways and perceived qualities. We argue that a population coding framework, based on distributed activity across non-nociceptive and nociceptive pathways, offers a more powerful explanation of illusory heat and pain. This framework offers new hypotheses regarding the neural mechanisms underlying temperature and pain perception.
KW - Illusion
KW - Pain
KW - Synthetic heat
KW - TGI
KW - Thermal grill
KW - Thermosensation
U2 - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.017
DO - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.017
M3 - Review
C2 - 31783059
VL - 108
SP - 472
EP - 479
JO - Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
JF - Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
SN - 0149-7634
ER -