Grey and white matter differences in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – A voxel-based morphometry study

• Objective Investigate global and regional grey and white matter volumes in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and recent voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods. Methods Forty-two patients with CFS and thirty healthy volunteers were scanned on a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. Anatomical MRI scans were segmented, normalized and submitted to a VBM analysis using randomisation methods. Group differences were identified in overall segment volumes and voxel-wise in spatially normalized grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) segments. Results Accounting for total intracranial volume, patients had larger GM volume and lower WM volume. The voxel-wise analysis showed increased GM volume in several structures including the amygdala and insula in the patient group. Reductions in WM volume in the patient group were seen primarily in the midbrain, pons and right temporal lobe. Conclusion Elevated GM volume in CFS is seen in areas related to processing of interoceptive signals and stress. Reduced WM volume in the patient group partially supports earlier findings of WM abnormalities in regions of the midbrain and brainstem. © 2017 The Author(s)

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Amygdala

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Insula

Midbrain

Voxel-based morphometry

adult

anterior commissure

Article

brain size

capsula interna

cerebrospinal fluid

clinical article

controlled study

corpus callosum

disease severity

external capsule

female

gray matter

hippocampus

human

male

medial temporal lobe

mesencephalon

middle aged

middle temporal gyrus

nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

operculum (brain)

pons

priority journal

putamen

pyramidal tract

superior temporal gyrus

symptom

temporal gyrus

temporal lobe

voxel based morphometry

white matter

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)