The spinal cord is not only the first part of the central nervous system where somatosensory information is processed, but also plays a substantial role in both acute and chronic forms of pain. Imaging this structure with fMRI faces several unique challenges, but has recently become feasible. Here, I will present several studies that investigate the spinal cord’s resting-state organization, its evoked responses to noxious stimulation and a modulation thereof due to cognitive manipulations. Having laid this ground-work, I will present current and planned studies that are based on the theory of predictive coding and aim to deconstruct the spinal cord pain response into prediction and prediction error signals. My hope is that this will allow for a more mechanistically informed understanding of pain in both its healthy and pathological form. [mehr]

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The spinal cord is not only the first part of the central nervous system where somatosensory information is processed, but also plays a substantial role in both acute and chronic forms of pain. While there is thus a clear incentive for investigating this structure in humans, assessing spinal cord function non-invasively comes with several unique obstacles. I will describe the approaches we have taken to address these challenges, focusing on fMRI data at 3T and 7T as well as electrophysiological work, which together aim to provide a spatiotemporal window into this underexplored part of the central nervous system. [mehr]