Abnormal interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: a resting-state functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Functional connectivity (FC) disruption in pain networks is implicated in primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) pathophysiology.
• The role of interhemispheric FC in PDM remains unclear.
• This study investigates voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and seed-based FC in PDM patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore alterations in interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.
• To investigate changes in voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and seed-based FC in PDM.
• To correlate brain connectivity abnormalities with clinical pain and anxiety measures.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional MRI scans were acquired from 35 PDM patients and 41 healthy controls (HCs) during their menstrual phase.
• Interhemispheric FC was compared using VMHC analysis.
• Seed-based FC analysis and correlation with clinical measures were performed.

Main Results:

• PDM patients exhibited significantly enhanced VMHC in bilateral frontal regions compared to HCs.
• Enhanced FC was observed between these frontal areas and other pain-related brain structures.
• Hyperconnectivity in the left middle frontal gyrus and right cingulate gyrus negatively correlated with pain scores (VAS).

Conclusions:

• Primary dysmenorrhea is associated with abnormal interhemispheric functional coordination.
• Enhanced connectivity in pain, attention, and reward networks is evident in PDM.
• These findings offer insights into the central mechanisms of PDM pain.