Cortical differences in diverticular disease and correlation with symptom reports.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Gastrointestinal diseases are linked to brain structural and functional differences.
• Patients with highly somatizing diverticular disease (HSDD) exhibit distinct functional brain patterns compared to low somatizing (LSDD) patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural brain differences between HSDD and LSDD patients.
• To explore brain gray matter variations in different diverticular disease (DD) subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of four patient groups: asymptomatic DD (ADD), LSDD, HSDD, and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Structural brain MRI scans (1-mm isotropic) analyzed using whole brain volumetry, cortical thickness analysis, and voxel-based morphometry.
• Assessment of somatization, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing.

Main Results:

• Gray matter density reductions observed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), mid-cingulate, and motor cortex.
• Cortical thickness varied across groups, with HSDD patients showing differences in the posterior cingulate cortex and dlPFC compared to ADD and LSDD patients, respectively.
• Anterior and mid-prefrontal cortex thickness correlated with pain catastrophizing.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence of structural gray matter abnormalities in diverticular disease patients.
• The findings indicate significant brain differences, particularly within the pain network, in patients with HSDD.
• Structural brain alterations may be associated with somatization severity in diverticular disease.