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Altered white matter microstructure identified with tract-based spatial statistics in irritable bowel syndrome: a
Jin Fang1, Shumei Li1, Meng Li1
1Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China.
Brain Imaging and Behavior
|September 16, 2016
Summary
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is linked to white matter (WM) changes in the brain, specifically axonal injury and loss. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed significant microstructural differences in IBS patients compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
Background:
- The neural underpinnings of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) pathophysiology remain incompletely understood.
- Investigating white matter (WM) integrity offers a potential avenue to explore neurological contributions to IBS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential white matter (WM) microstructural changes in IBS patients.
- To explore the underlying causes of WM impairment in IBS using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Main Methods:
- Prospective study comparing 19 IBS patients and 20 healthy controls.
- Whole-brain voxel-wise analyses using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS).
- Analysis of diffusion tensor imaging metrics: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD).
Main Results:
- IBS patients exhibited significantly reduced FA in the corpus callosum splenium, right internal capsule (retrolenticular area and superior corona radiata).
- Increased MD was observed in the corpus callosum (splenium and body), right internal capsule (retrolenticular area, superior corona radiata, and posterior limb).
- Elevated AD was found in the corpus callosum splenium, bilateral internal capsule (retrolenticular area), and left internal capsule (posterior limb).
Conclusions:
- White matter microstructure is demonstrably altered in IBS patients.
- The observed WM changes suggest axonal injury and loss as potential pathological mechanisms in IBS.
- These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of IBS pathophysiology.
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