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Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Farmer, MA; Huang, L; Martucci, K; Yang, CC; Maravilla, KR; Harris, RE; Clauw, DJ; Mackey, S; Ellingson, BM; Mayer, EA; Schaeffer, AJ ...
Published in: J Urol
July 2015

PURPOSE: Several chronic pain conditions may be distinguished by condition specific brain anatomical and functional abnormalities on imaging, which are suggestive of underlying disease processes. We present what is to our knowledge the first characterization of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome associated white matter (axonal) abnormalities based on multicenter neuroimaging from the MAPP Research Network. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 34 women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and 32 healthy controls using questionnaires on pain, mood and daily function. White matter microstructure was evaluated by diffusion tensor imaging to model directional water flow along axons or fractional anisotropy. Regions correlating with clinical parameters were further examined for gender and syndrome dependence. RESULTS: Women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome showed numerous white matter abnormalities that correlated with pain severity, urinary symptoms and impaired quality of life. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome was characterized by decreased fractional anisotropy in aspects of the right anterior thalamic radiation, the left forceps major and the right longitudinal fasciculus. Increased fractional anisotropy was detected in the right superior and bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculi. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge we report the first characterization of brain white matter abnormalities in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Regional decreases and increases in white matter integrity across multiple axonal tracts were associated with symptom severity. Given that white matter abnormalities closely correlated with hallmark symptoms of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, including bladder pain and urinary symptoms, brain anatomical alterations suggest that there are neuropathological contributions to chronic urological pelvic pain.

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Published In

J Urol

DOI

EISSN

1527-3792

Publication Date

July 2015

Volume

194

Issue

1

Start / End Page

118 / 126

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White Matter
  • Urology & Nephrology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Cystitis, Interstitial
  • Adult
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 1103 Clinical Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Farmer, M. A., Huang, L., Martucci, K., Yang, C. C., Maravilla, K. R., Harris, R. E., … MAPP Research Network. (2015). Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study. J Urol, 194(1), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.082
Farmer, Melissa A., Lejian Huang, Katherine Martucci, Claire C. Yang, Kenneth R. Maravilla, Richard E. Harris, Daniel J. Clauw, et al. “Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study.J Urol 194, no. 1 (July 2015): 118–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.082.
Farmer MA, Huang L, Martucci K, Yang CC, Maravilla KR, Harris RE, et al. Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study. J Urol. 2015 Jul;194(1):118–26.
Farmer, Melissa A., et al. “Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study.J Urol, vol. 194, no. 1, July 2015, pp. 118–26. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.082.
Farmer MA, Huang L, Martucci K, Yang CC, Maravilla KR, Harris RE, Clauw DJ, Mackey S, Ellingson BM, Mayer EA, Schaeffer AJ, Apkarian AV, MAPP Research Network. Brain White Matter Abnormalities in Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study. J Urol. 2015 Jul;194(1):118–126.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Urol

DOI

EISSN

1527-3792

Publication Date

July 2015

Volume

194

Issue

1

Start / End Page

118 / 126

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White Matter
  • Urology & Nephrology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Cystitis, Interstitial
  • Adult
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 1103 Clinical Sciences