Structural white matter and functional connectivity alterations in patients with shoulder apprehension
Davide Zanchi1, Gregory Cunningham2, Alexandre Lädermann2,3,4
1Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Scientific Reports
|February 9, 2017
Summary
Shoulder apprehension involves structural brain changes, specifically in white matter integrity, alongside functional network alterations. These white matter changes correlate with clinical outcomes and functional connectivity in affected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
Background:
- Shoulder apprehension is increasingly understood beyond mechanical issues, involving motor inhibition and emotional regulation networks.
- Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies highlight functional brain network modifications in shoulder apprehension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate structural white matter alterations in patients with shoulder apprehension using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
- To correlate structural white matter changes with clinical shoulder scores and functional connectivity.
Main Methods:
- 14 patients with shoulder apprehension and 10 healthy controls underwent clinical assessment, fMRI, and DTI.
- Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyzed white matter integrity (Fractional Anisotropy - FA).
- Resting-state fMRI investigated functional network connectivity; DTI results were correlated with clinical scores.
Main Results:
- Increased FA in the left internal capsule and thalamus was observed in patients compared to controls.
- FA negatively correlated with Simple Shoulder Test (SST) scores.
- FA positively correlated with specific functional connectivity networks.
Conclusions:
- Shoulder apprehension is associated with structural white matter changes in addition to functional brain alterations.
- These structural changes in white matter integrity are linked to clinical severity and brain network function.
