近年来

大脑皮层参与痛觉调制逐渐受到人们的重视。Hardy发现刺激大鼠前额叶(prefrontal cortex

PFC)具有行为镇痛机能

并且观察到刺激PFC可以改变中脑某些神经元的电活动

这些神经The unit discharge of neurons in nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) were recorded with glass microelectrodes in 33 waking and tubocurarinc-immobilized rats. It is observed that effects of the noxious stimulation and prefronlal cortex (PFC) stimulation on spontaneous discharges of NRM neurons and effects of PFC stimulation on noxious-evoked discharges of NRM neurons by stimulating sural nerve. The results indicated that noxious stimulation and PFC stimulation could increase spontaneous discharge of most (68.18% and 60.82% respectively) NRM neurons. It was also noted that most (49/80) NRM neurons altered their spontaneous discharge in response to noxiouse stimulation and PFC stimulation in a similar manner. The remainder (31/80) opposite manners

PFC stimulation could alter the response of NRM neurons to noxious stimulation

PFC stimulation could enhance or reduce noxious-evoked discharge in NRM neurons which alter their spontaneous discharge in response to noxious stimulation and PFC stimulation in a similar manner

PFC stimulation could reduce noxious-evoked discharge in NRM neurons which alter their spontaneous discharge in opposite manners. The above results suggest that PFC and NRM have a functional relation

PFC could modulate nociceptive response and it might be partly responsible for influence on activily of neurons in NRM.