Fig. 1

Basic pain matrix model. Basic structures of the “pain matrix.” Blue areas represent common structures in the sensory/discriminative (lateral) pain pathway (thalamus, SI, SII). Orange areas represent common structures identified in the affective/motivational (medial) pain pathway (ACC, INS). The green region represents one component of the cognitive/evaluative pain system (dlPFC). The arrows represent multiple cortical connections between regions and systems indicating the complex interconnectedness of brain regions involved with pain. ACC anterior cingulate cortex, INS insula, dlPFC dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, SI primary somatosensory cortex, SII secondary somatosensory cortex