The following is a summary of “Cerebellar somatotopy of the trigemino-cervical complex during nociception,” published in the November 2023 issue of Pain by Basedau et al.
Researchers started a retrospective study to investigate the cerebellar processing of trigeminal and more significant occipital nerve-derived nociceptive input using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
They applied stimulation to the greater occipital and the three main branches of the trigeminal nerve in two young, healthy volunteer cohorts. These individuals had no psychiatric, neurological, or pain-related disorders. The goal was to unravel the overlapping somatotopic cerebellar organization of nerves that innervate the human head during functional magnetic resonance imaging.
The results showed a prominent influence of the initial trigeminal branch in the cerebellum, emphasizing its specific significance for headache diseases. Somatotopic representations were identified in bilateral cerebellar lobules I–IV, V, VIIb, VIIIa, and Crus I, as well as in the brainstem.
Investigators concluded that the cerebellum was involved in processing facial and head pain, and the first trigeminal branch plays a prominent role.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejp.2212
