Gene expression is associated with brain function of insomnia disorder, rather than brain structure

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Insomnia disorder (ID) is associated with brain structural and functional abnormalities.
• The connection between these brain alterations and gene expression in ID remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between gene expression and brain structural or functional abnormalities in insomnia disorder.
• To validate findings using two independent patient datasets.

Main Methods:

• Utilized brain imaging techniques to assess resting-state activity, regional homogeneity, and gray matter volume in individuals with and without ID.
• Performed association analyses between brain imaging data and gene expression profiles.
• Validated results across a discovery and a validation dataset.

Main Results:

• Insomnia disorder patients exhibited abnormal resting-state activity, regional homogeneity, and reduced gray matter volume compared to healthy controls.
• Brain functional abnormalities in ID were significantly associated with gene expression.
• No significant association was found between structural brain abnormalities and gene expression in ID.

Conclusions:

• Establishes a link between transcriptional changes and functional brain abnormalities in insomnia disorder.
• Identifies potential genetic underpinnings involving the HPA axis, ion transport, and inhibitory neuronal regulation.
• Highlights the enrichment of ID-related genes in brain and cortical tissues, underscoring their biological relevance.