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The relationship between Central Nervous System morphometry changes and key symptoms in Crohn’s disease

Abstract:
Alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT) in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients has been previously documented. However, the findings are inconsistent, and not a true representation of CD burden, as only CD patients in remission have been studied thus far. We investigate alterations in brain morphometry in patients with active CD and those in remission, and study relationships between brain structure and key symptoms of fatigue, abdominal pain, and extraintestinal manifestations (EIM).Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans were collected in 89 participants; 34 CD participants with active disease, 13 CD participants in remission and 42 healthy controls (HCs); Voxel based morphometry (VBM) assessed GMV and white matter volume (WMV), and surface-based analysis assessed cortical thickness (CT).We show a significant reduction in global cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume in CD participants compared with HCs, as well as, a reduction in regional GMV, WMV and CT in the left precentral gyrus (motor cortex), and an increase in GMV in the frontal brain regions in CD compared with HCs. Atrophy of the supplementary motor area (SMA) was associated with greater fatigue in CD. We also show alterations in brain structure in multiple regions in CD associated with abdominal pain and extraintestinal inflammations (EIMs).These brain structural alterations likely reflect neuroplasticity to a chronic systemic inflammatory response, abdominal pain, EIMs and fatigue. These findings will aid our understanding of the cross-linking between chronic inflammation, brain structural changes and key unexplained CD symptomatology like fatigue
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-9879-1100
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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-6417-1883
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Institution:
University of Oxford
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-1238-0472
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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-2226-0810


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Funder identifier:
10.13039/501100000265
Grant:
Medical Research Council
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Funder identifier:
10.13039/501100003522
Grant:
M2017/6
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Funder identifier:
10.13039/100001063
Grant:
336416


Publisher:
Springer
Journal:
Brain Imaging and Behavior More from this journal
Volume:
17
Issue:
2
Pages:
149-160
Publication date:
2022-11-21
DOI:
EISSN:
1931-7565
ISSN:
1931-7557


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1311469
Local pid:
pubs:1311469
Source identifiers:
W4309519441
Deposit date:
2026-04-30
ARK identifier:
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