HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript

Anesthesiology. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 August 01. Published in final edited form as: Anesthesiology. 2016 August ; 125(2): 368–377. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000001198.

Changes in Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity Associated with Peripheral Nerve Blockade: A Pilot Study M. Stephen Melton, M.D.1,*, Jeffrey N. Browndyke, Ph.D.2,4,*, Todd B. Harshbarger, Ph.D.3,4, David J. Madden, Ph.D.4,5, Karen C. Nielsen, M.D.1, and Stephen M. Klein, M.D.1 1Department

of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center

Author Manuscript

2Geriatric

Behavioral Health Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center 3Department

4Duke

of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center

Brain Imaging and Analysis Center

5Department

of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center

Abstract

Author Manuscript

Background—Limited information exists on the effects of temporary functional deafferentation (TFD) on brain activity after peripheral nerve blockade (PNB) in healthy humans. Increasingly, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is being used to study brain activity and organization. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that TFD through PNB will influence changes in RSFC plasticity in central sensorimotor functional brain networks in healthy, human participants. Methods—We achieved TFD using a supraclavicular PNB model with 10 healthy human participants undergoing fcMRI prior to PNB, during active-PNB and during PNB recovery. RSFC differences among study conditions were determined by multiple-comparison corrected (pFDR