Cortical morphometric alterations and disrupted structural covariance networks in Somatic Symptom Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Previous studies indicate gray matter volume (GMV) alterations in Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD).
• Specifics of cortical morphology and brain network organization in SSD remain unclear.
• This study investigates cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and structural covariance networks (SCNs) in SSD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine cortical structural changes (CT and SA) in individuals with SSD.
• To explore disruptions in structural covariance networks (SCNs) within the SSD brain.
• To identify potential neuroimaging markers for SSD.

Main Methods:

• Acquired high-resolution T1-weighted MRI from 50 SSD patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs).
• Assessed group differences in CT and SA using FreeSurfer.
• Constructed SCNs and employed graph theoretical analysis to evaluate network topology.

Main Results:

• SSD patients showed reduced CT in the left superior frontal gyrus, left pars triangularis gyrus, and bilateral rostral middle frontal gyrus.
• CT in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus correlated negatively with somatic symptom severity.
• CT-based SCN analysis revealed increased nodal degree and higher small-worldness in the right hemisphere; SA-based SCN analysis showed decreased nodal efficiency in the left hemisphere.

Conclusions:

• Cortical structural alterations and disrupted SCN organization are evident in SSD.
• These neuroimaging findings may offer insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of SSD.
• Abnormalities identified could serve as potential biomarkers for SSD.