Clinical Investigation
Brain glucose metabolism network and connectivity in patients with somatoform disorders
Pan Zhiwei, Xiao Jianfei, Huang Qi, Jiang Donglang, Ren Shuhua, Guan Yihui, Xie Fang, Sun Daliang, Hua Fengchun
Published 2020-01-25
Cite as Chin J Nucl Med Mol Imaging, 2020, 40(1): 6-10. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.2095-2848.2020.01.002
Abstract
ObjectiveTo observe the alteration of brain glucose metabolic network in patients with somatoform disorders (SFD).
Methods18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET images of 18 SFD patients (10 males, 8 females; age: (39.5±12.0) years; illness duration: (3.67±3.20) years) and 21 matched healthy controls (13 males, 8 females; age: (43.9±8.4) years) in Huashan Hospital of Fudan University from October 2011 to December 2012 were enrolled to construct the brain glucose metabolic networks for 2 groups (SFD group, control group) respectively. Then the global network properties (normalized clustering coefficient, normalized shortest path length, small-worldness and global efficiency) and local parameters (clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality of the node) were calculated using the graph theory. Differences between 2 groups were compared by permutation test with 1 000 permutations. The top 20% (18/90) were classified as Hub nodes based on the results of clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality of the node.
ResultsSmall-worldness of SFD patients was similar to that of healthy controls (σ>1). There were decreased tendency in normalized clustering coefficient and global efficiency, and increased tendency in normalized shortest path length in SFD patients, but without significant differences (P>0.05). Compared to healthy controls, the betweenness centrality of left pallidum, left amygdala, left precuneus and right angular gyrus increased (permutation test,P<0.05); the betweenness centrality of left middle temporal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus decreased (permutation test,P<0.05); the clustering coefficients of bilateral pallidum, bilateral thalamus, and left amygdala decreased (permutation test,P<0.05). Most changed Hub nodes (16/24) belonged to limbic system.
ConclusionThe changes of topological properties of brain glucose metabolic network in SFD patients including the decreased tendency of small-worldness and global efficiency, as well as the altered Hub nodes, may provide valid imaging evidences for brain dysfunction of somatization symptoms.
Key words:
Somatoform disorders; Metabolic networks and pathways; Brain; Positron-emission tomography; Deoxyglucose
Contributor Information
Pan Zhiwei
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Xiao Jianfei
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Huang Qi
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Jiang Donglang
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Ren Shuhua
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Guan Yihui
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Xie Fang
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China
Sun Daliang
Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin 300222, China
Hua Fengchun
PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China (Hua Fengchun is working on the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China)
