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Is primary dysmenorrhea affected by gray matter volumetric changes in the brain?

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 495 - 501, 04.05.2023
https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.994103

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed this study to investigate the relationship between gray matter volume differences women who suffer from primary dismenorrea (PD) and asymptomatic women.


Methods:
Brain magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging of 113 PD patients and 113 healthy women were performed. The volume of gray matter structures was calculated with the VolBrain automatic calculation system.


Results:
Cut-off values were found by ROC analysis for right, left and total volumes in both groups. A caudate lobe volume above 6.33 cm3 is 99.1% sensitive and 77.9% specific for a diagnosis of PD. In addition, the volumes of other pain-related gray matter regions were decreased in PD patients (p < 0.001).


Conclusions:
Atrophic changes in the medial GM structures in the brain in women with PD may cause hyperalgesia and the quantitative determination of these morphological changes may play an important role in the diagnosis of PD.

References

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  • 13. Chattarji S, Tomar A, Suvrathan A, Ghosh S, Rahman MM. Neighborhood matters: divergent patterns of stress-induced plasticity across the brain. Nat Neurosci 2015;18:1364-75.
  • 14. Ziv M, Tomer R, Defrin R, Hendler T. Individual sensitivity to pain expectancy is related to differential activation of the hippocampus and amygdala. Hum Brain Mapp 2010;31:326-38.
  • 15. Bingel U, Quante M, Knab R, Bromm B, Weiller C, Buchel C. Subcortical structures involved in pain processing: Evidence from single-trial fMRI. Pain. 2002;99:313-21.
  • 16. Mao C, Wei L, Zhang Q, Liao X, Yang X, Zhang M. Differences in brain structure in patients with distinct sites of chronic pain: A voxel-based morphometric analysis. Neural Regen Res 2013;8:2981-90.
  • 17. Torrico TJ, Munakomi S. Neuroanatomy, Thalamus. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2020.
  • 18. Maleki N, Becerra L, Nutile L, Pendse G, Brawn J, Bigal M, et al. Migraine attacks the basal ganglia. Mol Pain. 2011;7:71
  • 19. Naegel S, Holle D, Obermann M. Structural imaging in cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2014;18:415.
  • 20. Luchtmann M, Steinecke Y, Baecke S, Lützkendorf R, Bernarding J, Kohl J, et al. Structural brain alterations in patients with lumbar disc herniation: a preliminary study. PLoS One 2014;9:e90816.
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  • 22. Lucassen PJ, Pruessner J, Sousa N, Almeida OF, Van Dam AM, Rajkowska G, et al. Neuropathology of stress. Acta Neuropathol 2014;127:109-35. 
  • 23. Craig AD. How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2002;3:655-66.
  • 24. May A. Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult human brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2011;15:475-82.
  • 25. Gao Q, Xu F, Jiang C, Chen Z, Chen H, Liao H, et al. Decreased functional connectivity density in pain-related brain regions of female migraine patients without aura. Brain Res 2016;1632:73-81.
  • 26. Bigal ME, Lipton RB. Clinical course in migraine: conceptualizing migraine transformation. Neurology 2008;71:848-55.
  • 27. Koussis P, Glotsos D, Lamprou E, Toulas P, Gyftopoulos A, Kehagias D, et al. Comparing NeuroQuant and volBrain software for automated brain analysis. Research Square 2021. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-289753/v1.
Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 495 - 501, 04.05.2023
https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.994103

Abstract

References

  • 1. Iacovides S, Avidon I, Baker FC. What we know about primary dysmenorrhea today: a critical review. Hum Reprod Update 2015;21:762-78.
  • 2. Dawood MY. Dysmenorrhea and prostaglandins. In: Gold JJ, Josimovich JB, editors. Gynecologic endocrinology. New York, USA: Plenum Press, 1987: pp. 405-21.
  • 3. Younesy S, Amiraliakbari S, Esmaeili S, Alavimajd H, Nouraei S. Effects of fenugreek seed on the severity and systemic symptoms of dysmenorrhea. J Reprod Infertil 2014;15:41-8.
  • 4. Dolatian M, Jafari HNV, Afrakhteh M, Taleban FA, Gachkar L. [Effects of fish oil on primary dysmenorrheal]. J Adv Med Biomed Res 2004;12:7-15. [Article in Persian.]
  • 5. Yunus MB. Fibromyalgia and overlapping disorders: the unifying concept of central sensitivity syndromes. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2007;36:339-56.
  • 6. Tu CH, Niddam DM, Chao HT, Chen LF, Chen YS, Wu YT, et al. Brain morphological changes associated with cyclic menstrual pain. Pain 2010;150:462-8.
  • 7. Tu CH, Niddam DM, Chao HT, Liu RS, Hwang RJ, Yeh TC, et al. Abnormal cerebral metabolism during menstrual pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Neuroimage 2009;47:28-35.
  • 8. Tu CH, Niddam DM, Yeh TC, Lirng JF, Cheng CM, Chou CC, et al. Menstrual pain is associated with rapid structural alterations in the brain. Pain 2013;154:1718-24.
  • 9. Manjón JV, Coupé P. volBrain: an online MRI brain volumetry system. Front Neuroinform 2016;10:30.
  • 10. Keller SS, Roberts N. Measurement of brain volume using MRI: software, techniques, choices and prerequisites. J Anthropol Sci 2009;87:127-51.
  • 11. As-Sanie S, Harris RE, Napadow V, Kim J, Neshewat G, Kairys A, et al. Changes in regional gray matter volume in women with chronic pelvic pain: a voxel-based morphometry study. Pain 2012;153:1006-14.
  • 12. Liu MG, Chen J. Roles of the hippocampal formation in pain information processing. Neurosci Bull 2009;25:237-66. 
  • 13. Chattarji S, Tomar A, Suvrathan A, Ghosh S, Rahman MM. Neighborhood matters: divergent patterns of stress-induced plasticity across the brain. Nat Neurosci 2015;18:1364-75.
  • 14. Ziv M, Tomer R, Defrin R, Hendler T. Individual sensitivity to pain expectancy is related to differential activation of the hippocampus and amygdala. Hum Brain Mapp 2010;31:326-38.
  • 15. Bingel U, Quante M, Knab R, Bromm B, Weiller C, Buchel C. Subcortical structures involved in pain processing: Evidence from single-trial fMRI. Pain. 2002;99:313-21.
  • 16. Mao C, Wei L, Zhang Q, Liao X, Yang X, Zhang M. Differences in brain structure in patients with distinct sites of chronic pain: A voxel-based morphometric analysis. Neural Regen Res 2013;8:2981-90.
  • 17. Torrico TJ, Munakomi S. Neuroanatomy, Thalamus. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2020.
  • 18. Maleki N, Becerra L, Nutile L, Pendse G, Brawn J, Bigal M, et al. Migraine attacks the basal ganglia. Mol Pain. 2011;7:71
  • 19. Naegel S, Holle D, Obermann M. Structural imaging in cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2014;18:415.
  • 20. Luchtmann M, Steinecke Y, Baecke S, Lützkendorf R, Bernarding J, Kohl J, et al. Structural brain alterations in patients with lumbar disc herniation: a preliminary study. PLoS One 2014;9:e90816.
  • 21. Smallwood RF, Laird AR, Ramage AE, Parkinson AL, Lewis J, Clauw DJ, et al. Structural brain anomalies and chronic pain: a quantitative meta-analysis of gray matter volume. J Pain 2013;14:663-75.
  • 22. Lucassen PJ, Pruessner J, Sousa N, Almeida OF, Van Dam AM, Rajkowska G, et al. Neuropathology of stress. Acta Neuropathol 2014;127:109-35. 
  • 23. Craig AD. How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2002;3:655-66.
  • 24. May A. Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult human brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2011;15:475-82.
  • 25. Gao Q, Xu F, Jiang C, Chen Z, Chen H, Liao H, et al. Decreased functional connectivity density in pain-related brain regions of female migraine patients without aura. Brain Res 2016;1632:73-81.
  • 26. Bigal ME, Lipton RB. Clinical course in migraine: conceptualizing migraine transformation. Neurology 2008;71:848-55.
  • 27. Koussis P, Glotsos D, Lamprou E, Toulas P, Gyftopoulos A, Kehagias D, et al. Comparing NeuroQuant and volBrain software for automated brain analysis. Research Square 2021. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-289753/v1.
There are 27 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Radiology and Organ Imaging, Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Journal Section Original Articles
Authors

Ela Kaplan 0000-0001-5039-9070

Selçuk Kaplan 0000-0002-2887-6165

Publication Date May 4, 2023
Submission Date September 11, 2021
Acceptance Date November 26, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 9 Issue: 3

Cite

AMA Kaplan E, Kaplan S. Is primary dysmenorrhea affected by gray matter volumetric changes in the brain?. Eur Res J. May 2023;9(3):495-501. doi:10.18621/eurj.994103

e-ISSN: 2149-3189 


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