Structural MRI findings in the brain related to pain distribution in chronic overlapping pain conditions : An explorative case–control study in females with fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder-related chronic pain and pain-free controls
Lam, Julia ; Mårtensson, Johan LU ; Westergren, Hans LU ; Svensson, Peter ; Sundgren, Pia C. LU
and Alstergren, Per
(2024)
In Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
51(11).
p.2415-2426
- Abstract
Background: Few neuroimaging studies have investigated structural brain differences associated with variations in pain distribution. Objective: To explore structural differences of the brain in fibromyalgia (FM), temporomandibular disorder pain (TMD) and healthy pain-free controls (CON) using structural and diffusion MRI. Methods: A case–control exploratory study with three study groups with different pain distribution were recruited: FM (n = 16; mean age [standard deviation]: 44 [14] years), TMD (n = 17, 39 [14] years) and CON (n = 10, 37 [14] years). Participants were recruited at the University Dental Clinic in Malmö, Sweden. T1-weighted and diffusion MRIs were acquired, clinical and psychosocial measures were obtained. Main outcome... (More)
Background: Few neuroimaging studies have investigated structural brain differences associated with variations in pain distribution. Objective: To explore structural differences of the brain in fibromyalgia (FM), temporomandibular disorder pain (TMD) and healthy pain-free controls (CON) using structural and diffusion MRI. Methods: A case–control exploratory study with three study groups with different pain distribution were recruited: FM (n = 16; mean age [standard deviation]: 44 [14] years), TMD (n = 17, 39 [14] years) and CON (n = 10, 37 [14] years). Participants were recruited at the University Dental Clinic in Malmö, Sweden. T1-weighted and diffusion MRIs were acquired, clinical and psychosocial measures were obtained. Main outcome measures were subcortical volume, cortical thickness, white matter microstructure and whole brain grey matter intensity. Results: Patients with FM had smaller volume in the right thalamus than patients with TMD (p =.020) and CON (p =.030). The right thalamus volume was negatively correlated to pain intensity (r = −0.37, p =.022) and pain-related disability (r = −0.45, p =.004). The FM group had lower cortical thickness in the right anterior prefrontal cortex than CON (p =.005). Cortical thickness in this area was negatively correlated to pain intensity (r [37] = − 0.48, p =.002). Conclusions: This study suggests that thalamus grey matter alterations are associated with FM and TMD, and that anterior prefrontal cortex grey matter alterations are associated with FM but not TMD. Studies on chronic overlapping pain conditions are needed in relation to possible nociplastic pain mechanisms in the brain and central nervous system.
(Less)
- author
- Lam, Julia
; Mårtensson, Johan
LU
; Westergren, Hans
LU
; Svensson, Peter
; Sundgren, Pia C.
LU
and Alstergren, Per
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- chronic pain, diffusion tensor imaging, fibromyalgia, magnetic resonance imaging, pain perception, temporomandibular joint disorders
- in
- Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
- volume
- 51
- issue
- 11
- pages
- 12 pages
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39152537
- scopus:85201298424
- ISSN
- 0305-182X
- DOI
- 10.1111/joor.13842
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- be223139-cac3-460c-9cc5-8534af5ac0a1
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-04 10:15:12
- date last changed
- 2025-07-15 21:12:25
@article{be223139-cac3-460c-9cc5-8534af5ac0a1,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Few neuroimaging studies have investigated structural brain differences associated with variations in pain distribution. Objective: To explore structural differences of the brain in fibromyalgia (FM), temporomandibular disorder pain (TMD) and healthy pain-free controls (CON) using structural and diffusion MRI. Methods: A case–control exploratory study with three study groups with different pain distribution were recruited: FM (n = 16; mean age [standard deviation]: 44 [14] years), TMD (n = 17, 39 [14] years) and CON (n = 10, 37 [14] years). Participants were recruited at the University Dental Clinic in Malmö, Sweden. T1-weighted and diffusion MRIs were acquired, clinical and psychosocial measures were obtained. Main outcome measures were subcortical volume, cortical thickness, white matter microstructure and whole brain grey matter intensity. Results: Patients with FM had smaller volume in the right thalamus than patients with TMD (p =.020) and CON (p =.030). The right thalamus volume was negatively correlated to pain intensity (r = −0.37, p =.022) and pain-related disability (r = −0.45, p =.004). The FM group had lower cortical thickness in the right anterior prefrontal cortex than CON (p =.005). Cortical thickness in this area was negatively correlated to pain intensity (r [37] = − 0.48, p =.002). Conclusions: This study suggests that thalamus grey matter alterations are associated with FM and TMD, and that anterior prefrontal cortex grey matter alterations are associated with FM but not TMD. Studies on chronic overlapping pain conditions are needed in relation to possible nociplastic pain mechanisms in the brain and central nervous system.</p>}},
author = {{Lam, Julia and Mårtensson, Johan and Westergren, Hans and Svensson, Peter and Sundgren, Pia C. and Alstergren, Per}},
issn = {{0305-182X}},
keywords = {{chronic pain; diffusion tensor imaging; fibromyalgia; magnetic resonance imaging; pain perception; temporomandibular joint disorders}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{11}},
pages = {{2415--2426}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Journal of Oral Rehabilitation}},
title = {{Structural MRI findings in the brain related to pain distribution in chronic overlapping pain conditions : An explorative case–control study in females with fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder-related chronic pain and pain-free controls}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joor.13842}},
doi = {{10.1111/joor.13842}},
volume = {{51}},
year = {{2024}},
}