Fibromyalgia & musculoskeletal pain
Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study
An erratum to this article was published (Arthritis Res Ther, 31 May 2023 ↗)
Authors' conclusion
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.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy controls
- Participants
- 23 vs 21
- Exposure
- FM vs healthy controls
- FMn = 23
- Healthy controls (HC)n = 21reference
- Outcome
- Regional patterns of (micro)structural GM and WM alterations (voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI))
Methodological detailsvoxel-based morphometry, diffusion-tensor imaging
- Voxel-based morphometry
- Diffusion-tensor imaging
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Significantly decreased GM volumes in bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG), parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right putamen, right caudate nucleus and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)
- Increased GM volume in bilateral cerebellum and left thalamus
- Microstructural white matter (WM) connectivity changes within medial lemniscus, corpus callosum and tracts surrounding and connecting the thalamus
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlations of GM/FA with clinical and psychometric factors in FM
- Pain severity and pain thresholds negatively correlated with GM in bilateral putamen, pallidum, right midcingulate cortex (MCC) and multiple thalamic substructures
- Chronicity of pain negatively correlated with GM volumes in right insular cortex and left rolandic operculum
- Depressive mood and general activity related to GM and FA values in bilateral putamen and thalamus
Original publication
Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 19 May 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →