Liu Dong, Zhang Yanli, Zhao Jiaoshi, Liu Budian, Lin Churong, Yang Mingcan, Gu Jieruo, Jin Ou
Department of Rheumatology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Department of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 2;14(1):29960. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79246-w.
Fibromyalgia (FM) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are both rheumatic diseases characterized by significant musculoskeletal pain. In this study, we investigated the differences of the resting-state network (RSN) connectivity and gray matter volume (GMV) between FM, AS and healthy controls (HCs). We recruited 38 FM patients, 82 AS patients and 61 HCs in this study. All the participants underwent resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) scans in a GE 3.0T MR system. Independent component analysis (ICA) was conducted on the rs-fMRI data, and group differences of the rsFC between different resting-state networks were calculated using dual regression. We also conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis to investigate the differences of the GMV in FM, AS and HCs. The rsFC between the dorsal default mode network (DDMN) and the body of left caudate nucleus was significantly decreased in FM patients in comparison to AS patients (87 voxels, p = 0.025). VBM analysis showed that the GMV of the left posterior lobe of cerebellum was significantly increased in FM patients compared with AS patients (88 voxels, p = 0.036). Neither ICA nor VBM analysis revealed significant differences of RSN connectivity or GMV between FM patients and HCs. The altered rsFC between DMN and the caudate nucleus suggested an aberrant cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit in FM patients, indicating aberrant reward processing, with potential association with mood, motivation and cognitive functions. The increased GMV in the left posterior lobe of cerebellum indicated the participation of cerebellum in the abnormal pain processing in FM patients.
纤维肌痛（FM）和强直性脊柱炎（AS）均为以显著肌肉骨骼疼痛为特征的风湿性疾病。在本研究中，我们调查了FM、AS患者与健康对照（HCs）之间静息态网络（RSN）连通性和灰质体积（GMV）的差异。本研究招募了38例FM患者、82例AS患者和61例HCs。所有参与者均在GE 3.0T MR系统中进行静息态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）扫描。对rs-fMRI数据进行独立成分分析（ICA），并使用双重回归计算不同静息态网络之间rsFC的组间差异。我们还进行了基于体素的形态学测量（VBM）分析，以研究FM、AS患者与HCs之间GMV的差异。与AS患者相比，FM患者背侧默认模式网络（DDMN）与左侧尾状核体之间的rsFC显著降低（87个体素，p = 0.025）。VBM分析显示，与AS患者相比，FM患者小脑左后叶的GMV显著增加（88个体素，p = 0.036）。ICA和VBM分析均未显示FM患者与HCs之间RSN连通性或GMV存在显著差异。DMN与尾状核之间rsFC的改变表明FM患者存在异常的皮质-纹状体-丘脑-皮质回路，提示奖赏处理异常，可能与情绪、动机和认知功能有关。小脑左后叶GMV增加表明小脑参与了FM患者的异常疼痛处理。
