De Blasio Frances M, Love Sapphire, Barry Robert J, Wassink Katherine, Cave Adele E, Armour Mike, Steiner-Lim Genevieve Z
NICM Health Research Institute and Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia; Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2023 May;149:146-156. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.02.173. Epub 2023 Mar 7.
Endometriosis is associated with neuroplastic changes in cognitive control and pain processing networks. This was the first study to assess eyes-closed resting electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillatory amplitudes in women with endometriosis compared to healthy controls, and explore the relationship with chronic pelvic pain.
Women with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain and individually age-matched pain-free controls (N = 20 per group) documented pelvic pain for 28 days before having continuous EEG recorded during a 2 min eyes closed resting state. Natural frequency components were extracted for each group using frequency principal components analysis. Corresponding components were assessed for group differences and correlated with pain scores.
Relative to controls, the endometriosis group had greater component amplitudes in delta (0.5 Hz) and beta (∼28 Hz), and reduced alpha (∼10 Hz). Delta and beta amplitudes were positively associated with pain severity, but only beta maintained this association after delta-beta amplitude coupling was controlled.
Enhanced resting delta and beta amplitudes were seen in women with endometriosis experiencing chronic pelvic pain. This delta-beta coupling varied with pelvic pain severity, perhaps reflecting altered cholinergic tone and/or stress reactivity.
Endometriosis-related changes in central pain processing demonstrate a distinct neuronal oscillatory signature detectable at rest.
子宫内膜异位症与认知控制和疼痛处理网络中的神经可塑性变化有关。这是第一项评估子宫内膜异位症女性与健康对照相比闭眼静息脑电图（EEG）振荡幅度，并探讨其与慢性盆腔疼痛关系的研究。
患有子宫内膜异位症相关慢性盆腔疼痛的女性和年龄匹配的无疼痛个体对照（每组N = 20）在2分钟闭眼静息状态下进行连续脑电图记录前记录28天的盆腔疼痛情况。使用频率主成分分析为每组提取自然频率成分。评估相应成分的组间差异并与疼痛评分相关联。
相对于对照组，子宫内膜异位症组在δ（0.5Hz）和β（约28Hz）频段有更大的成分幅度，而α（约10Hz）频段则降低。δ和β幅度与疼痛严重程度呈正相关，但在控制δ-β幅度耦合后，只有β保持这种相关性。
患有慢性盆腔疼痛的子宫内膜异位症女性静息时δ和β幅度增强。这种δ-β耦合随盆腔疼痛严重程度而变化，可能反映了胆碱能张力和/或应激反应性的改变。
子宫内膜异位症相关的中枢性疼痛处理变化表现出一种在静息时可检测到的独特神经元振荡特征。
