The following is a summary of “Posterior cingulate cortex hyperactivity in conversion disorder: a PET/MRI study,” published in the March 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Tatlı et al.
Neuroimaging studies suggest brain abnormalities in conversion disorder patients despite inconsistent findings.
Researchers started a retrospective study investigating brain activity in conversion disorder using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI.
They conducted a study with 20 patients diagnosed with conversion disorder. The Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales (HAM-D and HAM-A), Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), and Somatoform Dissociation Scale (SDS) were administered. Then, brain F-18 FDG-PET/MRI scans were also performed.
The results showed hypermetabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex right hemisphere (PCC-R), while glucose metabolism in other brain regions remained within normal limits. Statistically significant differences in z-scores were observed among all brain regions except for the right superior parietal and cerebellum when compared with the control group. Despite positive correlations between these regions in the opposite hemisphere, no correlation was observed between the metabolism of the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC-L) and left medial prefrontal cortex (PFC-L), ACC-L and left lateral temporal cortex, or cerebellum and left inferior parietal cortex.
Investigators concluded that the Default Mode Network (DMN), linked to arousal and self-referential processing, along with motor intention and self-agency regions, was prior involved.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1336881/full