TY - JOUR
T1 - Cortical Thickness Alterations in Chronic Pain Disorder
T2 - An Exploratory MRI Study
AU - Magon, Stefano
AU - Sprenger, Till
AU - Otti, Alexander
AU - Papadopoulou, Athina
AU - Gündel, Harald
AU - Noll-Hussong, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 by the American Psychosomatic Society.
PY - 2018/9/1
Y1 - 2018/9/1
N2 - Objective Chronic pain disorder (CPD) has been associated with brain changes, especially in limbic circuits. However, in most patients with chronic pain, depression or anxiety is a common comorbidity. In this exploratory and naturalistic study, we investigated brain cortical thickness (CTh) differences between patients with CPD and healthy controls, with consideration of concurrent psychiatric symptoms. Methods Twenty-three patients with CPD and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included in this study. CTh was estimated using Freesurfer on high-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted images acquired with a 3T scanner. Group differences were investigated using an analysis of covariance model that included age, sex, and Beck Depression Inventory I and Trait Anxiety Inventory scores as covariates. The relationship between CTh and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores was also investigated in patients. Data were corrected for multiplicity using the False Discovery Rate approach (q <.05). Results The comparison between groups using demographics and Beck Depression Inventory I scores as covariates showed thinner cortex in patients compared with controls, after correction for multiplicity in the left precentral (F(1,42) = 21.9, p <.05) and postcentral gyri (F(1,42) = 26.9, p <.05) and in the left inferior temporal sulcus (F(1,42) = 19.6, p <.05). Moreover, using the Trait Anxiety Inventory as covariate, a trend toward significance (p <.001 uncorrected) was seen for the left precentral gyrus (F(1,42) = 13.8), right middle frontal (F(1,42) = 14.3) and inferior parietal gyri (F(1,42) = 13.4), and right anterior temporal pole (F(1,42) = 15.9). Conclusions The results indicate that brain morphological differences between patients with chronic pain disorder and healthy controls are localized to regions that correspond to sensory as well as affective dimensions of pain processing.
AB - Objective Chronic pain disorder (CPD) has been associated with brain changes, especially in limbic circuits. However, in most patients with chronic pain, depression or anxiety is a common comorbidity. In this exploratory and naturalistic study, we investigated brain cortical thickness (CTh) differences between patients with CPD and healthy controls, with consideration of concurrent psychiatric symptoms. Methods Twenty-three patients with CPD and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included in this study. CTh was estimated using Freesurfer on high-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted images acquired with a 3T scanner. Group differences were investigated using an analysis of covariance model that included age, sex, and Beck Depression Inventory I and Trait Anxiety Inventory scores as covariates. The relationship between CTh and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores was also investigated in patients. Data were corrected for multiplicity using the False Discovery Rate approach (q <.05). Results The comparison between groups using demographics and Beck Depression Inventory I scores as covariates showed thinner cortex in patients compared with controls, after correction for multiplicity in the left precentral (F(1,42) = 21.9, p <.05) and postcentral gyri (F(1,42) = 26.9, p <.05) and in the left inferior temporal sulcus (F(1,42) = 19.6, p <.05). Moreover, using the Trait Anxiety Inventory as covariate, a trend toward significance (p <.001 uncorrected) was seen for the left precentral gyrus (F(1,42) = 13.8), right middle frontal (F(1,42) = 14.3) and inferior parietal gyri (F(1,42) = 13.4), and right anterior temporal pole (F(1,42) = 15.9). Conclusions The results indicate that brain morphological differences between patients with chronic pain disorder and healthy controls are localized to regions that correspond to sensory as well as affective dimensions of pain processing.
KW - FreeSurfer
KW - chronic pain disorder
KW - cortical thickness
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - persistent somatoform pain disorder
KW - somatic symptom disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052848099&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000605
DO - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000605
M3 - Article
C2 - 29787468
AN - SCOPUS:85052848099
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 80
SP - 592
EP - 598
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 7
ER -