Transcriptional and cellular signatures of cortical morphometric remodelling in chronic pain

Functional Connectome Hierarchy Distortions in Female Nurses With Occupational Burnout and Its Gene Expression Signatures

BACKGROUND

Burnout has become a serious public health issue worldwide, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Functional connectome impairments associated with occupational burnout were widely distributed, involving both low-level sensorimotor cortices and high-level association cortices.

PURPOSE

To investigate whether there are hierarchical perturbations in the functional connectomes and if these perturbations are potentially influenced by genetic factors in nurses who feel "burned out."

STUDY TYPE

Prospective, case control.

POPULATION

Thirty-three female nurses with occupational burnout (aged 27-40, 32.42 ± 3.37) and 32 matched nurses who were not feeling burned out (aged 27-42, 32.50 ± 4.21).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

3.0 T, gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence (GE-EPI).

ASSESSMENT

Gradient-based techniques were used to depict the perturbations in the multi-dimensional hierarchical structure of the macroscale connectome. Gene expression data were acquired from the Allen Human Brain Atlas.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Cortex-wide multivariate analyses were used for between-group differences in gradients as well as association analyses between the hierarchy distortions and the MBI score (FDR corrected). Partial least squares, spin test and bootstrapping were utilized together to select the gene sets (FDR corrected). Gene enrichment analyses (GO, KEGG and cell-type) were further performed. Significance level: P < 0.05.

RESULTS

There were significant gradient distortions, with strong between-group effects in the somatosensory network and moderate effects in the higher-order default-mode network, which were significantly correlated with the gene expression profiles (r = 0.3171). The most related genes were broadly involved in the cellular response to minerals, neuronal plasticity, and the circadian rhythm pathway (q value < 0.01). Significant enrichments were found in excitatory (r = 0.2588), inhibitory neurons (r = 0.2610), and astrocytes cells (r = 0.2633). Regions affected by burnout severity were mainly distributed in the association and visual cortices.

DATA CONCLUSION

By connecting in vivo imaging to genes, cell classes, and clinical data, this study provides a framework to understand functional impairments in occupational burnout and how the microscopic genetic architecture drive macroscopic distortions.

EVIDENCE LEVEL

1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Menstrually-related migraine shapes the structural similarity network integration of brain

Menstrually-related migraine (MM) is a primary migraine in women of reproductive age. The underlying neural mechanism of MM was still unclear. In this study, we aimed to reveal the case-control differences in network integration and segregation for the morphometric similarity network of MM. Thirty-six patients with MM and 29 healthy females were recruited and underwent MRI scanning. The morphometric features were extracted in each region to construct the single-subject interareal cortical connection using morphometric similarity. The network topology characteristics, in terms of integration and segregation, were analyzed. Our results revealed that, in the absence of morphology differences, disrupted cortical network integration was found in MM patients compared to controls. The patients with MM showed a decreased global efficiency and increased characteristic path length compared to healthy controls. Regional efficiency analysis revealed the decreased efficiency in the left precentral gyrus and bilateral superior temporal gyrus contributed to the decreased network integration. The increased nodal degree centrality in the right pars triangularis was positively associated with the attack frequency in MM. Our results suggested MM would reorganize the morphology in the pain-related brain regions and reduce the parallel information processing capacity of the brain.

Effect and mechanisms of exercise for complex regional pain syndrome

Complex regional pain syndrome characterized by severe pain and dysfunction seriously affects patients' quality of life. Exercise therapy is gaining attention because it can effectively relieve pain and improve physical function. Based on the previous studies, this article summarized the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of exercise interventions for complex regional pain syndrome, and described the gradual multistage exercise program. Exercises suitable for patients with complex regional pain syndrome mainly include graded motor imagery, mirror therapy, progressive stress loading training, and progressive aerobic training. In general, exercise training for patients with complex regional pain syndrome not only alleviates pain but also improves physical function and positive mental status. The underlying mechanisms of exercise interventions for complex regional pain syndrome include the remodeling of abnormal central and peripheral nervous system, the regulation of vasodilation and adrenaline levels, the release of endogenous opioids, and the increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. This article provided a clear explanation and summary of the research on exercise for complex regional pain syndrome. In the future, more high-quality studies with sufficient sample sizes may provide more exercise regimens and better evidence of efficacy.

Cellular and molecular signatures of in vivo imaging measures of GABAergic neurotransmission in the human brain

Diverse GABAergic interneuron networks orchestrate information processing in the brain. Understanding the principles underlying the organisation of this system in the human brain, and whether these principles are reflected by available non-invasive in vivo neuroimaging methods, is crucial for the study of GABAergic neurotransmission. Here, we use human gene expression data and state-of-the-art imaging transcriptomics to uncover co-expression patterns between genes encoding GABAA receptor subunits and inhibitory interneuron subtype-specific markers, and their association with binding patterns of the gold-standard GABA PET radiotracers [11C]Ro15-4513 and [11C]flumazenil. We found that the inhibitory interneuron marker somatostatin covaries with GABAA receptor-subunit genes GABRA5 and GABRA2, and that their distribution followed [11C]Ro15-4513 binding. In contrast, the inhibitory interneuron marker parvalbumin covaried with GABAA receptor-subunit genes GABRA1, GABRB2 and GABRG2, and their distribution tracked [11C]flumazenil binding. Our findings indicate that existing PET radiotracers may provide complementary information about key components of the GABAergic system.

The OpenNeuro resource for sharing of neuroscience data

The sharing of research data is essential to ensure reproducibility and maximize the impact of public investments in scientific research. Here, we describe OpenNeuro, a BRAIN Initiative data archive that provides the ability to openly share data from a broad range of brain imaging data types following the FAIR principles for data sharing. We highlight the importance of the Brain Imaging Data Structure standard for enabling effective curation, sharing, and reuse of data. The archive presently shares more than 600 datasets including data from more than 20,000 participants, comprising multiple species and measurement modalities and a broad range of phenotypes. The impact of the shared data is evident in a growing number of published reuses, currently totalling more than 150 publications. We conclude by describing plans for future development and integration with other ongoing open science efforts.