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Enhanced intrathalamic morphological connectivity in patients with chronic insomnia

Xi Ye1,2, Yuping Yang3, Guang Xu4

  • 1Jinan University, No. 601, Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510632, People's Republic of China.

Brain Imaging and Behavior
|November 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Patients with chronic insomnia show increased intrathalamic morphological connectivity. This finding offers new insights into brain connectivity in insomnia and potential avenues for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Medical Imaging
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Chronic insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder affecting millions worldwide.
  • The thalamus plays a crucial role in sleep regulation and sensory processing.
  • Abnormal brain connectivity is increasingly implicated in the pathophysiology of insomnia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in morphological connectivity within and between thalamic subregions in patients with chronic insomnia compared to healthy controls.
  • To explore the clinical relevance of observed connectivity alterations in chronic insomnia.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Human Brainnetome Atlas to define thalamic subregions.
  • Computed and compared intrathalamic and thalamocortical morphological connectivity between chronic insomnia patients (n=102) and healthy controls (n=101).
  • Employed Spearman's correlation to assess associations between connectivity and clinical variables.

Main Results:

  • Patients with chronic insomnia exhibited significantly higher intrathalamic morphological connectivity compared to controls.
  • No significant differences in thalamocortical morphological connectivity were found between groups.
  • No significant correlation was identified between altered intrathalamic connectivity and clinical/behavioral scales.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest increased intrathalamic morphological connectivity in chronic insomnia.
  • These results contribute to understanding the neural underpinnings of insomnia at an individual level.
  • The study provides novel perspectives for potential clinical interventions and diagnostic imaging in chronic insomnia.

Keywords:
Chronic insomniaMorphological connectivityThalamus subregion

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