IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v9y2018i1d10.1038_s41467-018-04648-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A multi-modal MRI study of the central response to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Schrepf

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Chelsea M. Kaplan

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Eric Ichesco

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Tony Larkin

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Steven E. Harte

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Richard E. Harris

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Alison D. Murray

    (University of Aberdeen)

  • Gordon D. Waiter

    (University of Aberdeen)

  • Daniel J. Clauw

    (University of Michigan Health System)

  • Neil Basu

    (University of Aberdeen
    University of Glasgow)

Abstract

It is unknown how chronic inflammation impacts the brain. Here, we examined whether higher levels of peripheral inflammation were associated with brain connectivity and structure in 54 rheumatoid arthritis patients using functional and structural MRI. We show that higher levels of inflammation are associated with more positive connections between the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), medial prefrontal cortex, and multiple brain networks, as well as reduced IPL grey matter, and that these patterns of connectivity predicted fatigue, pain and cognitive dysfunction. At a second scan 6 months later, some of the same patterns of connectivity were again associated with higher peripheral inflammation. A graph theoretical analysis of whole-brain functional connectivity revealed a pattern of connections spanning 49 regions, including the IPL and medial frontal cortex, that are associated with peripheral inflammation. These regions may play a critical role in transducing peripheral inflammatory signals to the central changes seen in rheumatoid arthritis.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Schrepf & Chelsea M. Kaplan & Eric Ichesco & Tony Larkin & Steven E. Harte & Richard E. Harris & Alison D. Murray & Gordon D. Waiter & Daniel J. Clauw & Neil Basu, 2018. "A multi-modal MRI study of the central response to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04648-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04648-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04648-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-018-04648-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04648-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.