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Cortical-limbic regions modulate depression and anxiety factors in functional dyspepsia: a PET-CT study

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Abstract

Objective

To observe some specific brain areas or cerebral functional network participating in the modulation of depression and anxiety factors in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients by detecting cerebral glucose metabolism (CGM) in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans.

Methods

Eight FD patients with depression and anxiety (DA-FD group) and eight FD patients without depression and anxiety (non-DA-FD group) were recruited and evaluated by the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) and Dyspepsia Symptom Scores (DSS). Cerebral 18F-FDG PET-CT scans were performed on the DA-FD group and non-DA-FD group, respectively. The differences in CGM between the two groups were analyzed with SPM2.

Results

Extensive changes in the CGM signals were observed in the cerebral cortex and limbic system of FD patients with depression and anxiety. Compared to non-DA-FD patients, DA-FD patients showed a higher glucose metabolism in the right postcentral gyrus (BA 1 and 5), inferior frontal gyrus (BA 45), superior temporal gyrus (BA 22), middle temporal gyrus (BA 22), inferior parietal lobule (BA 40), lingual gyrus (BA 18) and the left middle occipital gyrus (BA 37), as well as the limbic system including the left thalamus, lateral globus pallidus, parahippocampal gyrus (BA 35), right insular cortex (BA 13) and parahippocampal gyrus (BA 18); a lower glucose metabolism was presented in the left middle cingulated gyrus (BA 24), the right superior frontal gyrus (BA 6), the medial frontal gyrus (BA 6) and middle temporal gyrus (BA 21).

Conclusion

An extensive cortical-limbic brain network might modulate the procession of FD patients with depression and anxiety factors.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), No. 2006CB504501 and the State Key Program of National Natural Science of China (No. 30930112/C190301).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Traditional Chinese Medicine of Chengdu University, Chengdu, China

    Mai-lan Liu, Fan-rong Liang, Fang Zeng, Yong Tang & Lei Lan

  2. PET-CT Center, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China

    Wen-zhong Song

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  1. Mai-lan Liu
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  2. Fan-rong Liang
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  3. Fang Zeng
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  4. Yong Tang
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  5. Lei Lan
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Correspondence to Fan-rong Liang.

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Liu, Ml., Liang, Fr., Zeng, F. et al. Cortical-limbic regions modulate depression and anxiety factors in functional dyspepsia: a PET-CT study. Ann Nucl Med 26, 35–40 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-011-0537-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-011-0537-4

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