The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus (HIPP) are two key brain regions associated with pain and pain-related affective processing. However, whether and how pelvic pain alters the neural activity and connectivity of the ACC and HIPP under baseline and during social distress, and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, remain unclear. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with electrophysiology and biochemistry, we show that pelvic pain, particularly, primary dysmenorrhea (PDM), causes an increase in the functional connectivity between ACC and HIPP in resting state fMRI, and a smaller reduction in connectivity during social exclusion in PDM females. Similarly, model rats demonstrate significantly increased ACC-HIPP synchronization in the theta and gamma bands, associating with reduced modulation by ACC-theta of HIPP-gamma and increased levels of receptor proteins and excitation. This study brings together human fMRI and animal research and enables improved therapeutic strategies for ameliorating pain and pain-related affective processing.

中文翻译：

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骨盆痛改变人和大鼠模型的前扣带回皮层和海马之间的功能连接

前扣带回皮层（ACC）和海马（HIPP）是与疼痛和疼痛相关的情感加工相关的两个关键脑区域。然而，在基线和社会困扰期间，骨盆疼痛是否以及如何改变ACC和HIPP的神经活动和连通性，以及潜在的细胞和分子机制尚不清楚。使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）结合电生理学和生物化学，我们显示骨盆疼痛，尤其是原发性痛经（PDM），导致静息状态fMRI中ACC和HIPP之间的功能连接性增加，并且连接性降低程度较小在PDM女性中被社会排斥。同样，模型大鼠在theta和gamma波段显示出显着提高的ACC-HIPP同步性，与HIPP-γ的ACC-θ调节作用降低以及受体蛋白和兴奋水平增加有关。这项研究将人类功能磁共振成像和动物研究结合在一起，并为改善疼痛和与疼痛相关的情感加工提供了改进的治疗策略。