Using MRI, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have identified differences in key brain structures of people who are most seriously impaired by a condition called functional neurological disorder (FND), according to a study published online August 26 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
More specifically, FND patients with the most severe physical symptoms showed reduced size in the insula, while those with the most severe mental health symptoms had greater volume within the amygdala.
The researchers, led by Dr. David Perez from MGH's departments of neurology and psychiatry, compared whole-brain structural MRI scans of 26 FND patients with those of 27 healthy control subjects. Their goal was to find associations between the size of network structures and the participants' physical and mental health and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
While the researchers found no whole-brain structural differences between the FND patients and healthy controls, they did observe a link between decreased volume in the left anterior insula and higher levels of physical impairment. Meanwhile, patients with the greatest mental health impairments and highest anxiety levels had increased volume within the amygdala.
These brain regions are involved in the integration of emotion processing and sensory-motor and cognitive functions, and the results may help determine why patients with functional neurological disorder exhibit such a mix of symptoms, Perez said in a press release.
