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Estévez-López F, Kim HH, López-Vicente M, Legerstee JS, Hillegers MHJ, Tiemeier H, Muetzel RL. Physical symptoms and brain morphology: a population neuroimaging study in 12,286 pre-adolescents. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:254. [PMID: 37438345 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02528-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical symptoms, also known as somatic symptoms, are those for which medical examinations do not reveal a sufficient underlying root cause (e.g., pain and fatigue). The extant literature of the neurobiological underpinnings of physical symptoms is largely inconsistent and primarily comprises of (clinical) case-control studies with small sample sizes. In this cross-sectional study, we studied the association between dimensionally measured physical symptoms and brain morphology in pre-adolescents from two population-based cohorts; the Generation R Study (n = 2649, 10.1 ± 0.6 years old) and ABCD Study (n = 9637, 9.9 ± 0.6 years old). Physical symptoms were evaluated using continuous scores from the somatic complaints syndrome scale from the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was collected using 3-Tesla MRI systems. Linear regression models were fitted for global brain metrics (cortical and subcortical grey matter and total white matter volume) and surface-based vertex-wise measures (surface area and cortical thickness). Results were meta-analysed. Symptoms of anxiety/depression were studied as a contrasting comorbidity. In the meta-analyses across cohorts, we found negative associations between physical symptoms and surface area in the (i) left hemisphere; in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and pars triangularis and (ii) right hemisphere; in the pars triangularis, the pars orbitalis, insula, middle temporal gyrus and caudal anterior cingulate cortex. However, only a subset of regions (left lateral orbitofrontal cortex and right pars triangularis) were specifically associated with physical symptoms, while others were also related to symptoms of anxiety/depression. No significant associations were observed for cortical thickness. This study in preadolescents, the most representative and well-powered to date, showed that more physical symptoms are modestly related to less surface area of the prefrontal cortex mostly. While these effects are subtle, future prospective research is warranted to understand the longitudinal relationship of physical symptoms and brain changes over time. Particularly, to elucidate whether physical symptoms are a potential cause or consequence of distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Estévez-López
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, SPORT Research Group (CTS-1024) and CERNEP Research Center, University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
| | - Hannah H Kim
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mónica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen S Legerstee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Manon H J Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Niu L, Hu Y, Yuan C, Wu X, Zheng L, Zhang Y. Cerebral structural alterations in the patients undergoing postherpetic neuralgia: A VBM-MRI study. IBRAIN 2022; 8:119-126. [PMID: 37786886 PMCID: PMC10528961 DOI: 10.1002/ibra.12027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the changes in gray matter (GM) volume and density in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), the differences in cerebral GM volume and concentration between 25 PHN patients and 25 healthy controls with similar gender ratios, ages, and education were compared. Meanwhile, correlation analysis was performed between the value of GM volume/concentration in the brain areas with discrepancy and the visual analog scale (VAS) score/lesion duration. The global GM volume in PHN patients was lower than that of healthy controls, while the total volume of cerebrospinal fluid in PHN patients was higher than that of healthy controls. In PHN patients, the GM volume decreased in the striatum, cerebellum, precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and so forth; the GM concentration decreased in the striatum, insula, middle and posterior cingulate, and superior temporal gyrus. There was a negative correlation between GM concentration in the right parahippocampal gyrus and the VAS in patients with PHN. In PHN patients, GM volume and density in the brain regions involved in nociceptive sensation, pain perception, and integration decreased significantly. The interaction between chronic pain of PHN and alteration of the cerebral structure may contribute to the occurrence and development of PHN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Niu
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protecting of Guizhou ProvinceZunyiGuizhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Cheng‐Dong Yuan
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protecting of Guizhou ProvinceZunyiGuizhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Xing‐Yan Wu
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protecting of Guizhou ProvinceZunyiGuizhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Lei‐Lei Zheng
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protecting of Guizhou ProvinceZunyiGuizhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of AnesthesiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protecting of Guizhou ProvinceZunyiGuizhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyZunyi Medical UniversityZunyiGuizhouChina
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