Neurocircuitry basis of motor cortex-related analgesia as an emerging approach for chronic pain management

Aside from movement initiation and control, the primary motor cortex (M1) has been implicated in pain modulation mechanisms. A large body of clinical data has demonstrated that stimulation and behavioural activation of M1 result in clinically important pain relief in patients with specific chronic pain syndromes. However, despite its clinical importance, the full range of circuits for motor cortex-related analgesia (MCRA) remains an enigma. This Review draws on insights from experimental and clinical data and provides an overview of the neurobiological mechanisms of MCRA, with particular emphasis on its neurocircuitry basis. On the basis of structural and functional connections of the M1 within the pain connectome, neural circuits for MCRA are discussed at different levels of the neuroaxis, specifically, the endogenous pain modulation system, the thalamus, the extrapyramidal system, non-noxious somatosensory systems and cortico-limbic pain signatures. We believe that insights from this Review will expedite the understanding of M1-induced pain modulation and offer hope for successful mechanism-based refinements of this interventional approach in chronic pain management. In this Review, the authors discuss the neurobiological mechanisms of motor cortex-related analgesia, drawing insights from both experimental data and clinical data.