TY - JOUR
T1 - Microstructural Evidence of Neuroinflammation for Psychological Symptoms and Pain in Patients With Fibromyalgia
AU - Lo, Yu Chun
AU - Li, Tang Jun Tiffany
AU - Lin, Ting Chun
AU - Chen, You Yin
AU - Kang, Jiunn Horng
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Translational Laboratory, Department of Medical Research, Taipei Medical University (TMU) Hospital, the Laboratory Animal Center at TMU, the Imaging Center for Integrated Body, Mind and Culture Research in National Taiwan University, and a grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. 1Y.C. Lo, PhD, The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University; 2T.J.T. Li, MD, Department of Medicine, Taipei Medical University; 3T.C. Lin, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; 4Y.Y. Chen, PhD, The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; 5J.H. Kang, MD, PhD, Graduate Institute of Nanomedicine and Medical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, and Professional Master Program in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this article. Address correspondence to Dr. J.H. Kang, Graduate Institute of Nanomedicine and Medical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, No. 250, Wu-Xing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan. Email: [email protected]. Accepted for publication April 20, 2022.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Journal of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Objective. In patients with fibromyalgia (FM), the brain shows altered structure and functional connectivity, but the mechanisms underlying these changes remain unclear. This study investigated the associated changes in brain microstructures and neuroinflammation of patients with FM. Methods. We recruited 14 patients with FM and 14 healthy controls (HCs). Visual analog scale (VAS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used for assessing their pain, anxiety, and depression levels, respectively. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) was used to visualize microstructural alterations associated with neuroinflammation in specific brain regions. The biomarkers for neuron damage, including serum tau and amyloid β protein fragment 1-42 (Aβ1-42) levels, were assessed. Spearman correlation of DKI parameters with VAS, BAI, and BDI-II scores as well as tau and Aβ1-42 levels were assessed. Results. The patients with FM had significantly higher levels of Aβ1-42 levels than HCs. Compared with HCs, the patients with FM showed significantly lower DKI parameters in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. Patients with FM showed a significant correlation between the axial kurtosis values of the amygdala and VAS scores (left: p = -0.60, P = 0.02; right: p = -7.04, P = 0.005). Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use DKI to examine the brains of patients with FM. We noted significant DKI changes associated with neuroinflammation at specific areas in patients with FM. Our results provide valuable information on brain neuroinflammation and pathophysiological changes in patients with FM.
AB - Objective. In patients with fibromyalgia (FM), the brain shows altered structure and functional connectivity, but the mechanisms underlying these changes remain unclear. This study investigated the associated changes in brain microstructures and neuroinflammation of patients with FM. Methods. We recruited 14 patients with FM and 14 healthy controls (HCs). Visual analog scale (VAS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used for assessing their pain, anxiety, and depression levels, respectively. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) was used to visualize microstructural alterations associated with neuroinflammation in specific brain regions. The biomarkers for neuron damage, including serum tau and amyloid β protein fragment 1-42 (Aβ1-42) levels, were assessed. Spearman correlation of DKI parameters with VAS, BAI, and BDI-II scores as well as tau and Aβ1-42 levels were assessed. Results. The patients with FM had significantly higher levels of Aβ1-42 levels than HCs. Compared with HCs, the patients with FM showed significantly lower DKI parameters in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. Patients with FM showed a significant correlation between the axial kurtosis values of the amygdala and VAS scores (left: p = -0.60, P = 0.02; right: p = -7.04, P = 0.005). Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use DKI to examine the brains of patients with FM. We noted significant DKI changes associated with neuroinflammation at specific areas in patients with FM. Our results provide valuable information on brain neuroinflammation and pathophysiological changes in patients with FM.
KW - anxiety
KW - depression
KW - diffusion kurtosis imaging
KW - fibromyalgia
KW - neuroinflammation
KW - pain
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U2 - 10.3899/jrheum.211170
DO - 10.3899/jrheum.211170
M3 - Article
C2 - 35501148
AN - SCOPUS:85135372834
SN - 0315-162X
VL - 49
SP - 942
EP - 947
JO - Journal of Rheumatology
JF - Journal of Rheumatology
IS - 8
ER -