Altered insula–default mode network connectivity in fibromyalgia: a resting-state magnetoencephalographic study
F. Hsiao, Shuu-Jiun Wang, Yung-Yang Lin, J. Fuh, Yu-Chieh Ko, Pei-Ning Wang, Wei-Ta Chen
The Journal of Headache and Pain August 23, 2017 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-017-0799-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 56 |
| Population | 28 patients with fibromyalgia and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls |
| Measures | tender point count, total tenderness score (TTS), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, FM Symptom Severity |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Patients with fibromyalgia showed reduced insula-default mode network connectivity in the theta band (4-8 Hz) compared with controls, while default mode network connectivity with visual and somatosensory cortex was unchanged. Weaker insula-default mode network connectivity correlated with more tender points, higher tenderness scores, greater symptom severity, and greater functional disability, suggesting a frequency-specific brain connectivity change tied to fibromyalgia symptoms. |
Abstract
BackgroundFibromyalgia (FM) is a disabling chronic pain syndrome with unknown pathophysiology. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on FM have suggested altered brain connectivity between the insula and the default mode network (DMN). However, this connectivity change has not been characterized through direct neural signals for exploring the embedded spectrotemporal features and the pertinent clinical relevance.MethodsWe recorded the resting-state magnetoencephalographic activities of 28 patients with FM and 28 age- and sex-matched controls, and analyzed the source-based functional connectivity between the insula and the DMN at 1–40 Hz by using the minimum norm estimates and imaginary coherence methods. We also measured the connectivity between the DMN and the primary visual (V1) and somatosensory (S1) cortices as intrapatient negative controls. Connectivity measurement was further correlated with the clinical parameters of FM.ResultsCompared with the controls, patients with FM reported more tender points (15.2±2.0 vs. 5.9±3.7) and higher total tenderness score (TTS; 29.1±7.0 vs. 7.7±5.5; both p < 0.001); they also had decreased insula–DMN connectivity at the theta band (4–8 Hz; left, p = 0.007; right, p = 0.035), but displayed unchanged V1–DMN and S1–DMN connectivity (p > 0.05). When patients with FM and the controls were combined together, the insula-DMN theta connectivity was negatively correlated with the number of tender points (left insula, r = −0.428, p = 0.001; right insula, r = −0.4, p = 0.002) and TTS score (left insula, r = −0.429, p = 0.001; right insula, r = −0.389, p = 0.003). Furthermore, in patients with FM, the right insula–DMN connectivity at the beta band (13–25 Hz) was negatively correlated with the number of tender points (r = −0.532, p = 0.004) and TTS (r = −0.428, p = 0.023), and the bilateral insula–DMN connectivity at the delta band (1–4 Hz) was negatively correlated with FM Symptom Severity (left: r = −0.423, p = 0.025; right: r = −0.437, p = 0.020) and functional disability (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire; left: r = −0.415, p = 0.028; right: r = −0.374, p = 0.050).ConclusionsWe confirmed the frequency-specific reorganization of the insula–DMN connectivity in FM. The clinical relevance of this connectivity change may warrant future studies to elucidate its causal relationship and potential as a neurological signature for FM.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Inner Navigation and Theta Activity: From Movement to Cognition and Hypnosis According to the Sphere Model of Consciousness IntechOpen eBooks June 26, 2020
- Altered network homogeneity of the default mode network in patients with tension-type headache Frontiers in Neurology September 1, 2026
- Examining Insula–Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity and Its Relationship with Heart Rate Variability Brain Science 2025
Cites 3
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Default mode network connectivity encodes clinical pain: An arterial spin labeling study Pain October 29, 2012
- How do you feel--now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature reviews. Neuroscience 2009