The following is a summary of “Associations between brain morphology, inflammatory markers and symptoms of fatigue, depression or anxiety in active and remitted Crohn’s disease,” published in the May 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Thomann et al.
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), particularly those with active disease, often experience fatigue and mental health issues, suggesting a potential role for the brain-gut connection in these symptoms.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring connections between brain structure, a stool marker of inflammation (fecal calprotectin), and mental health symptoms in patients with CD, considering both active and remission phases.
They involved 109 participants (67 individuals with CD and 42 HCs). Participants underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging, stool sample analysis for fecal calprotectin, and completion of questionnaires assessing fatigue, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Grey matter volume (GMV) differences between patients and controls were analyzed, along with associations between regional GMV alterations, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and fecal calprotectin levels.
The results showed that symptoms of fatigue, depression, and anxiety were elevated in patients with CD compared to controls, with the highest scores observed in active CD. Patients showed reduced gray matter volume in cortical and subcortical sensorimotor regions, occipitotemporal, and medial frontal areas. Regional GMV variances showed a significant negative correlation with fatigue but not with depression or anxiety. Subgroup analyses indicated symptom-GMV associations for fatigue in remitted CD but not in active CD, while fatigue was positively correlated with fecal calprotectin in active but not remitted disease.
Investigators found evidence of brain-gut dysfunction in CD, with fatigue potentially linked to reduced brain matter in specific regions.
Source: academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae078/7675647