Altered insula-default mode network connectivity in fibromyalgia: a resting-state magnetoencephalographic study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition with unknown causes.
• Previous fMRI studies suggest altered insula-DMN connectivity in FM.
• Direct neural signal analysis is needed to understand these connectivity changes and their clinical relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate source-based functional connectivity between the insula and DMN using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
• To explore the spectrotemporal features of this connectivity.
• To correlate connectivity changes with clinical parameters in FM.

Main Methods:

• MEG resting-state activity recorded from 28 FM patients and 28 controls.
• Analyzed insula-DMN connectivity (1-40 Hz) using minimum norm estimates and imaginary coherence.
• Correlated connectivity with FM tender points, total tenderness score (TTS), symptom severity, and functional disability.

Main Results:

• FM patients showed decreased insula-DMN theta band connectivity compared to controls.
• Insula-DMN theta connectivity negatively correlated with tender points and TTS.
• Insula-DMN delta and beta band connectivity correlated with FM symptom severity, disability, and tenderness.

Conclusions:

• Confirmed frequency-specific reorganization of insula-DMN connectivity in FM.
• These connectivity changes show clinical relevance and may serve as a potential biomarker for FM.
• Further research is needed to establish causality.