Regional Neuroplastic Brain Changes in Patients with Chronic Inflammatory and Non-Inflammatory Visceral Pain

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084564
• Publication Date: 2014-01-08T16:54:20Z
• Authors: Jui-Yang Hong; Jennifer S. Labus; Zhiguo Jiang; Cody Ashe-Mcnalley; Ivo Dinov; Arpana Gupta; Yonggang Shi; Jean Stains; Nuwanthi Heendeniya; Suzanne R. Smith; Kirsten Tillisch; Emeran A. Mayer
• Keywords: Orbitofrontal cortex; Insular cortex; Postcentral gyrus

Regional cortical thickness alterations have been reported in many chronic inflammatory and painful conditions, including bowel diseases (IBD) irritable syndrome (IBS), even though the mechanisms underlying such neuroplastic changes remain poorly understood. In order to better understand contributing grey matter changes, current study sought identify differences regional between healthy controls two visceral pain syndromes, with without gut inflammation. 41 controls, 11 IBS subjects diarrhea, 16 ulcerative colitis (UC) underwent high-resolution T1-weighted magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo scans. Structural image preprocessing analysis within region of interests were performed by using Laboratory Neuroimaging Pipeline. Group determined general linear model contrast analysis. The disease groups differed significantly several regions. UC showed greater anterior cingulate subregions, primary somatosensory cortex compared both subjects. Compared subjects, lower orbitofrontal mid posterior insula, while insula. Large effects correlations symptom duration postcentral gyrus only observed findings suggest that gray represent a consequence peripheral inflammation, central may play role.