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Neuroradiology
Published in: Neuroradiology 12/2023

18-10-2023 | Fibromyalgia | Advanced Neuroimaging

Topological alterations in white matter structural networks in fibromyalgia

Authors: Ye Tu, Jihong Wang, Zheng Li, Fei Xiong, Feng Gao

Published in: Neuroradiology | Issue 12/2023

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Abstract

Purpose

Neuroimaging studies employing analyses dependent on regional assumptions and specific neuronal circuits could miss characteristics of whole-brain structural connectivity critical to the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia (FM). This study applied the whole-brain graph-theoretical approach to identify whole-brain structural connectivity disturbances in FM.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used probabilistic diffusion tractography and graph theory analysis to evaluate the topological organization of brain white matter networks in 20 patients with FM and 20 healthy controls (HCs). The relationship between brain network metrics and clinical variables was evaluated.

Results

Compared with HCs, FM patients had lower clustering coefficient, local efficiency, hierarchy, synchronization, and higher normalized characteristic path length. Regionally, patients demonstrated a significant reduction in nodal efficiency and centrality; these regions were mainly located in the prefrontal, temporal cortex, and basal ganglia. The network-based statistical analysis (NBS) identified decreased structural connectivity in a subnetwork of prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus in FM. There was no correlation between network metrics and clinical variables (false discovery rate corrected).

Conclusions

The current research demonstrated disrupted topological architecture of white matter networks in FM. Our results suggested compromised neural integration and segregation and reduced structural connectivity in FM.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Topological alterations in white matter structural networks in fibromyalgia
Authors
Ye Tu
Jihong Wang
Zheng Li
Fei Xiong
Feng Gao
Publication date
18-10-2023
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Neuroradiology / Issue 12/2023
Print ISSN: 0028-3940
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-023-03225-7

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