Texture analysis of brain MRI evidences the amygdala activation by nociceptive stimuli under deep anesthesia in the propofol–formalin rat model

Magnetic resonance images of rat brain were analyzed by texture analysis in order to study the effects of a nociceptive stimulation (formalin test) under propofol deep anesthesia. Changes of the texture in different cerebral brain areas acquired before and after stimulation were checked. Our statistical analysis of texture shows that these changes were present only in the amygdala, in agreement with the facts already known about the unconscious memorization of nociceptive stimuli.