Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study
Abstract Background Previous studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing. However, few studies have thus far linked different types...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Arthritis Research & Therapy |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03064-0 |
| _version_ | 1797811379441238016 |
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| author | Benjamin Mosch Verena Hagena Stephan Herpertz Martin Diers |
| author_facet | Benjamin Mosch Verena Hagena Stephan Herpertz Martin Diers |
| author_sort | Benjamin Mosch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Previous studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing. However, few studies have thus far linked different types of structural changes and not much is known about behavioral and clinical determinants that might influence the emergence and progression of such changes. Methods We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) to detect regional patterns of (micro)structural gray (GM) and white matter (WM) alterations in 23 patients with FM compared to 21 healthy controls (HC), while considering the influence of demographic, psychometric, and clinical variables (age, symptom severity, pain duration, heat pain threshold, depression scores). Results VBM and DTI revealed striking patterns of brain morphometric changes in FM patients. Bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG), parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right putamen, right caudate nucleus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed significantly decreased GM volumes. In contrast, increased GM volume was observed in bilateral cerebellum and left thalamus. Beyond that, patients displayed microstructural changes of WM connectivity within the medial lemniscus, corpus callosum, and tracts surrounding and connecting the thalamus. Sensory-discriminative aspects of pain (pain severity, pain thresholds) primarily showed negative correlations with GM within bilateral putamen, pallidum, right midcingulate cortex (MCC), and multiple thalamic substructures, whereas the chronicity of pain was negatively correlated with GM volumes within right insular cortex and left rolandic operculum. Affective-motivational aspects of pain (depressive mood, general activity) were related to GM and FA values within bilateral putamen and thalamus. Conclusions Our results suggest a variety of distinct structural brain changes in FM, particularly affecting areas involved in pain and emotion processing such as the thalamus, putamen, and insula. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:22:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa9034f2a302431580efd1d9e0395765 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1478-6362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:22:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arthritis Research & Therapy |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa9034f2a302431580efd1d9e03957652023-06-04T11:35:21ZengBMCArthritis Research & Therapy1478-63622023-05-0125111210.1186/s13075-023-03064-0Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging studyBenjamin Mosch0Verena Hagena1Stephan Herpertz2Martin Diers3Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University BochumDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University BochumDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University BochumDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University BochumAbstract Background Previous studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing. However, few studies have thus far linked different types of structural changes and not much is known about behavioral and clinical determinants that might influence the emergence and progression of such changes. Methods We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) to detect regional patterns of (micro)structural gray (GM) and white matter (WM) alterations in 23 patients with FM compared to 21 healthy controls (HC), while considering the influence of demographic, psychometric, and clinical variables (age, symptom severity, pain duration, heat pain threshold, depression scores). Results VBM and DTI revealed striking patterns of brain morphometric changes in FM patients. Bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG), parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right putamen, right caudate nucleus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed significantly decreased GM volumes. In contrast, increased GM volume was observed in bilateral cerebellum and left thalamus. Beyond that, patients displayed microstructural changes of WM connectivity within the medial lemniscus, corpus callosum, and tracts surrounding and connecting the thalamus. Sensory-discriminative aspects of pain (pain severity, pain thresholds) primarily showed negative correlations with GM within bilateral putamen, pallidum, right midcingulate cortex (MCC), and multiple thalamic substructures, whereas the chronicity of pain was negatively correlated with GM volumes within right insular cortex and left rolandic operculum. Affective-motivational aspects of pain (depressive mood, general activity) were related to GM and FA values within bilateral putamen and thalamus. Conclusions Our results suggest a variety of distinct structural brain changes in FM, particularly affecting areas involved in pain and emotion processing such as the thalamus, putamen, and insula.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03064-0FibromyalgiaPainMRIBrain morphometryVoxel-based morphometryDiffusion tensor imaging |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Mosch Verena Hagena Stephan Herpertz Martin Diers Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study Arthritis Research & Therapy Fibromyalgia Pain MRI Brain morphometry Voxel-based morphometry Diffusion tensor imaging |
| title | Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study |
| title_full | Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study |
| title_fullStr | Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study |
| title_short | Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study |
| title_sort | brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors a volumetric and diffusion tensor imaging study |
| topic | Fibromyalgia Pain MRI Brain morphometry Voxel-based morphometry Diffusion tensor imaging |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03064-0 |
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