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Diffusion tensor imaging detects microstructural reorganization in the brain associated with chronic irritable bowel
Benjamin M Ellingson1, Emeran Mayer, Robert J Harris
1Department of Radiological Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Department of Biomedical Physics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Department of Bioengineering, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Center for the Neurobiology of Stress, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Department of Digestive Diseases and Gastroenterology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) exhibit distinct brain microstructural differences, particularly in sensory processing regions. These findings suggest long-term neural reorganization in the brains of individuals experiencing chronic visceral pain from IBS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder marked by recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits.
- Chronic visceral pain in IBS may involve long-term neural changes in pain pathways and sensory integration regions.
- Previous research suggests potential brain alterations in IBS patients, necessitating further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microstructural brain differences in patients with IBS compared to healthy controls (HCs).
- To explore potential neural reorganization in chronic pain pathways and sensory integration areas in IBS.
- To examine sex-based differences in brain structure related to IBS.
Main Methods:
- Population-based voxel-wise diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) comparisons were conducted.
- Probabilistic tractography was employed to assess brain connectivity.
- A large sample of phenotyped IBS patients (n=33) and HCs (n=93) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- IBS patients showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in thalamic, basal ganglia, and sensory/motor regions, but higher FA in frontal lobes and corpus callosum.
- Reduced mean diffusivity (MD) was observed in the globus pallidus, with higher MD in the thalamus, internal capsule, and coronal radiata.
- Tractography revealed altered connectivity between thalamus-prefrontal cortex, medial dorsal thalamic nuclei-anterior cingulate cortex, and globus pallidus-thalamus in IBS patients.
- Sex differences in FA and MD were noted in IBS patients, but not in HCs.
Conclusions:
- The study supports the hypothesis of long-term microstructural brain changes in IBS patients with chronic visceral pain.
- These alterations are particularly evident in brain regions involved in sensory integration and corticothalamic modulation.
- Findings highlight the role of neural reorganization in the pathophysiology of IBS pain.
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