The following is a summary of “Brain in chronic insomnia and anxiety disorder: a combined structural and functional fMRI study,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Xu et al.
Chronic insomnia disorder (CID) often goes along with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and can lead to changes in brain structure and function.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore potential brain markers, imaging features, and underlying mechanisms of CID when it occurs with GAD.
They studied 57 patients with CID and GAD and 57 HCs. Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional connectivity (FC), gray matter volume (GMV) and functional changes were measured. Later, the correlation between brain changes and clinical symptoms was analyzed.
The results showed that patients had less GMV in the left cerebellum, right cerebellar peduncle, and left insula. More FC between the left cerebellum and right angular gyrus, along with the left insula and anterior left cingulate gyrus were shown. However, less connectivity in other brain areas was observed, including the left cerebellum with the middle left cingulate gyrus and the left insula with the left superior postcentral gyrus. The findings could help pinpoint brain markers and better understand CID and GAD.
Investigators concluded that the severity of insomnia was linked to anxiety levels. Lower GMV in the cerebellum was a marker of CID, while changes in the insula, cingulate gyrus, and prefrontal lobe contribute to CID and GAD symptoms.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1364713/full
