Resting-state functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the default mode network is aberrantly increased in ankylosing spondylitis
Dong Liu, Chu-Rong Lin, Bu-Dian Liu, Yan-Li Zhang, Yu-Tong Jiang, Jie-Ruo Gu, O. Jin
BMC musculoskeletal disorders January 23, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-025-08322-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 143 |
| Population | 82 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 61 healthy controls |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Resting-state functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the medial prefrontal cortex was increased in ankylosing spondylitis relative to healthy controls, as shown by both independent component analysis and seed-based correlation analysis. Seed-based analysis also found increased connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and a right cerebellar cluster and between the right dorsolateral and right lateral prefrontal cortex. Connectivity between the medial and left anterior prefrontal cortex correlated with C-reactive protein. The authors propose these changes may contribute to the neuropathophysiology of lower back pain in AS. |
Abstract
Lower back pain comprises the majority of the disease burden of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), while the alterations of the large-scale brain networks could be implicated in the neuropathophysiology of pain. The frontoparietal network (FPN) is known as a pain modulation hub, with key nodes dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) participating in the pain modulation and reappraisal process. In this study, we adopted the analytical approaches of independent component analysis (ICA) and seed-based correlation analysis (SCA) to examine the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the large-scale brain networks, notably FPN, between 82 AS patients and 61 healthy controls (HCs). We also investigated the correlation between the rsFC and the clinical measures of AS patients. Both ICA and SCA consistently showed that the rsFC between FPN and mPFC, a key node of the default mode network (DMN), was significantly increased in AS. In addition, SCA also identified a cluster at the right posterior lobe of cerebellum which exhibited increased rsFC with the posterior cingulate cortex, and the right lateral prefrontal cortex also showed increased rsFC with the right dlPFC. Correlation analysis showed that the rsFC between mPFC and the left anterior prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with C-reactive protein in AS. The increased FPN-DMN connectivity could contribute to the neuropathophysiology of lower back pain in AS, with potential association with faulty pain modulation and reappraisal mechanisms facilitated by the FPN.
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 |