Question

Becky is experiencing chronic pain from a medical condition that cannot be treated. In order to minimize the long-term emotional response to her pain, she would choose a modification of her a. Parietal cortex. b. Prefrontal cortex. c. Primary somatosensory cortex. d. Dorsal lateral thalamus. e. Posterior cingulate cortex

Answer 1

Answer:

b. Prefrontal cortex.

Explanation:

The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex that covers the frontal lobe in the brain. The prefrontal cortex plays important roles in pain processing, as well as in pain modulation. In addition, this brain area is connected to other brain regions including the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and further areas of the cerebral neocortex. It has been shown that changes in gene expression patterns, glial cells, neurotransmitters and inflammatory processes are triggered in the prefrontal cortex during both acute and chronic pain, and these alterations are able to modify its functioning, structure, and connectivity.