Yan Song1, Qinji Su1, Muliang Jiang2, Feng Liu3, Dapeng Yao1, Yi Dai2, Liling Long2, Miaoyu Yu1, Jianrong Liu1, Zhikun Zhang1, Jian Zhang1, Changqing Xiao1, Wenbin Guo4. 1. Mental Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China. 2. Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China. 3. Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China. 4. Mental Health Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China. Electronic address: guowenbin76@163.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Structural and functional abnormalities of the default mode network (DMN) and their correlations with personality have been found in somatization disorder (SD). However, no study is conducted to identify regional neural activity and its correlations with personality in SD. In this study, regional homogeneity (ReHo) was applied to explore whether abnormal regional neural activity is present in patients with SD and its correlations with personality measured by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). METHODS: Twenty-five first-episode, treatment-naive patients with SD and 28 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls participated in the whole study. During the scanning, all subjects were instructed to lie still with their eyes closed and remain awake. A ReHo approach was employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: The SD group had a significantly increased ReHo in the left angular gyrus (AG) compared to healthy controls. The increased ReHo positively correlated to the neuroticism scores of EPQ (EPQ-N). No other correlations were detected between the ReHo values and other related factors, such as symptom severity and education level. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that abnormal regional neural activity of the DMN may play a key role in SD with clinical implications and emphasize the importance of the DMN in the pathophysiological process of SD.
BACKGROUND:Structural and functional abnormalities of the default mode network (DMN) and their correlations with personality have been found in somatization disorder (SD). However, no study is conducted to identify regional neural activity and its correlations with personality in SD. In this study, regional homogeneity (ReHo) was applied to explore whether abnormal regional neural activity is present in patients with SD and its correlations with personality measured by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). METHODS: Twenty-five first-episode, treatment-naive patients with SD and 28 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls participated in the whole study. During the scanning, all subjects were instructed to lie still with their eyes closed and remain awake. A ReHo approach was employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: The SD group had a significantly increased ReHo in the left angular gyrus (AG) compared to healthy controls. The increased ReHo positively correlated to the neuroticism scores of EPQ (EPQ-N). No other correlations were detected between the ReHo values and other related factors, such as symptom severity and education level. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that abnormal regional neural activity of the DMN may play a key role in SD with clinical implications and emphasize the importance of the DMN in the pathophysiological process of SD.