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Larger volume and different functional connectivity of the amygdala in women with premenstrual syndrome

  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To assess structural and functional changes of the amygdala due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

Twenty PMS patients and 21 healthy control (HC) subjects underwent a 6-min resting-state fMRI scan during the luteal phase as well as scanning high-resolution T1-weighted images. Subcortical amygdala-related volume and functional connectivity (FC) were estimated between the two groups. Each subject completed a daily record of severity of problems (DRSP) to measure the severity of clinical symptoms.

Results

Greater bilateral amygdalae volumes were found in PMS patients compared with HC subjects, and PMS patients had increased FC between the amygdala and certain regions of the frontal cortex (e.g. medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), right precentral gyrus), the right temporal pole and the insula, as well as decreased FC between the bilateral amygdalae and the right orbitofrontal cortex and right hippocampus. The strength of FC between the right amygdala and right precentral gyrus, left ACC and left mPFC were significantly and positively correlated with DRSP scores in PMS patients.

Conclusions

Our findings may improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in PMS.

Key Points

• Functional and structural MRI used to explore amygdala in PMS patients.

• Aberrant amygdala structural and functional connectivity were found in PMS patients.

• Amygdala strength FC was positively correlated with individual clinical symptom scores.

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Abbreviations

ACC:

Anterior cingulate cortex

AN:

Affective network

BMI:

Body mass index

BOLD:

Blood oxygenation level dependent

DMN:

Default mode network

DRSP:

Daily record of severity of problems

DSM-5:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition

EPI:

Echo planar imaging

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

FOV:

Field of view

HC:

Healthy control

HIPP:

Hippocampus

mPFC:

Medial prefrontal cortex

OFC:

Orbitofrontal cortex

PMDD:

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

PMS:

Premenstrual syndrome

ROI:

Region of interest

rs-fMRI:

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

TE:

Echo time

TR:

Repetition time

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Funding

The present study was supported by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation [Grant No. 2017JJB10213, 2016GXNSFAA380086, 2011GXNSFA018176] and National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 81760886, 81471738, 81303060].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530023, China

    Demao Deng, Gaoxiong Duan, Hai Liao, Shasha Li, Wenfu Chen, Chunmei Xuan & Min Li

  2. Department of Acupuncture, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530023, China

    Yong Pang & Huimei Liu

  3. Life Science Research Center, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710071, China

    Peng Liu & Yanfei Liu

  4. Department of Teaching, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530023, China

    Danhong Wen

Authors
  1. Demao Deng
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  2. Yong Pang
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  3. Gaoxiong Duan
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  4. Huimei Liu
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  5. Hai Liao
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  6. Peng Liu
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  7. Yanfei Liu
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  8. Shasha Li
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  9. Wenfu Chen
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  10. Danhong Wen
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  11. Chunmei Xuan
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  12. Min Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Demao Deng.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Demao Deng.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Informed consent

All participants were informed about the experimental procedure and provided written informed consent.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Medicine Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Guangxi, China.

Methodology

• prospective

• case-control study

• performed at one institution

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Deng, D., Pang, Y., Duan, G. et al. Larger volume and different functional connectivity of the amygdala in women with premenstrual syndrome. Eur Radiol 28, 1900–1908 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5206-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-5206-0

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