Elaine Cachia1, Dinesh Selvarajah2,
Michael D. Hunter3, John Snowden4, Sam H. Ahmedzai5,
Iain D. Wilkinson1
1Academic Radiology,
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; 2Diabetes,
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals; 3Academic Psychiatry, University of Sheffield;
4Haematology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals; 5Palliative
Care, University of Sheffield
Chemotherapy has significantly extended life expectancy in myeloma, but it has resulted in a high incidence of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which can be debilitating. This study investigates the brains response to pain stimulation in patients with CIPN using BOLD fMRI at 3T. 12 myeloma patients and 12 healthy volunteers underwent heat-pain stimulation in a boxcar-design paradigm. The BOLD response was evaluated using a general linear model. Painful stimuli to the foot produced significantly greater thalamic response than thigh stimulation in subjects with CIPN compared with healthy volunteers.