Layer 5 anterior cingulate cortical neurons engage dorsolateral periaqueductal gray excitatory neurons to facilitate the affective component of pain
Pain is a conscious perceptual experience characterized by its aversive quality and consequent motivation to quench pain perception. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) critically contributes to the emotional dimension of pain. In both humans and rodents, ACC neural activity increases during acute and chronic pain, whe...