RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Low white-matter integrity between the left thalamus and inferior frontal gyrus in patients with insomnia disorder
JF Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO J Psychiatry Neurosci
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 366
OP 374
DO 10.1503/jpn.170195
VO 43
IS 6
A1 Kang, Jae Myeong
A1 Joo, Sung Woo
A1 Son, Young-Don
A1 Kim, Hyun
A1 Ko, Kwang-Pil
A1 Lee, Jung Sun
A1 Kang, Seung-Gul
YR 2018
UL http://jpn.ca/content/43/6/366.abstract
AB Background: Previous studies have reported functional and structural abnormalities in the thalamus and the pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus in patients with insomnia disorder. However, no studies have been conducted on the white-matter tracts between these 2 brain regions. We aimed to compare the white-matter integrity and structure of the left thalamus–pars triangularis tracts between patients with insomnia and controls, and to characterize the relationship between white-matter integrity and clinical features in patients with insomnia.Methods: In total, 22 participants with insomnia disorder and 27 controls underwent overnight polysomnography and brain magnetic resonance imaging, and then completed self-report clinical questionnaires and neurocognitive tests for spatial planning. Structural and diffusion measures such as fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity and trace were analyzed in group comparison and correlation analyses.Results: The insomnia group showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (F = 8.647, p = 0.02) and axial diffusivity (F = 5.895, p = 0.038) in the left thalamus–pars triangularis tracts than controls. In patients with insomnia, fractional anisotropy in the tracts was correlated with the results of the Stockings of Cambridge test (r = 0.451, p = 0.034), and radial diffusivity was correlated with Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (r = 0.437, p = 0.042).Limitations: Limitations included analyses of limited brain regions and the cross-sectional design.Conclusion: The insomnia group showed decreased integrity in the left thalamus–pars triangularis tracts, and integrity was correlated with cognition and daytime sleepiness. These results may imply that insomnia is characterized by disintegration of the white-matter tract between the left thalamus and inferior frontal gyrus.