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Grey matter changes of the pain matrix in patients with burning mouth syndrome
Author(s) -
Sinding Charlotte,
Gransjøen Anne Mari,
Schlumberger Gina,
Grushka Miriam,
Frasnelli Johannes,
Singh Preet Bano
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.13156
Subject(s) - grey matter , voxel based morphometry , burning mouth syndrome , insula , anterior cingulate cortex , dysgeusia , insular cortex , cingulate cortex , psychology , supplementary motor area , neuroscience , cerebellum , medicine , anatomy , white matter , central nervous system , magnetic resonance imaging , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , radiology , adverse effect
Burning mouth syndrome ( BMS ) is characterized by a burning sensation in the mouth, usually in the absence of clinical and laboratory findings. Latest findings indicate that BMS could result from neuropathic trigeminal conditions. While many investigations have focused on the periphery, very few have examined possible central dysfunctions. To highlight changes of the central system of subjects with BMS , we analysed the grey matter concentration in 12 subjects using voxel‐based morphometry. Data were compared with a control group (Ct). To better understand the brain mechanisms underlying BMS , the grey matter concentration of patients was also compared with those of dysgeusic patients (Dys). Dysgeusia is another oral dysfunction condition, characterized by a distorted sense of taste and accompanied by a reduced taste function. We found that a major part of the ‘pain matrix’ presented modifications of the grey matter concentration in subjects with BMS . Six regions out of eight were affected [anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus, lobules of the cerebellum, insula/frontal operculum, inferior temporal area, primary motor cortex, dorsolateral pre‐frontal cortex ( DLPFC )]. In the anterior cingulate gyrus, the lobules of the cerebellum, the inferior temporal lobe and the DLPFC , pain intensity correlated with grey matter concentration. Dys also presented changes in grey matter concentration but in different areas of the brain. Our results suggest that a deficiency in the control of pain could in part be a cause of BMS and that BMS and dysgeusia conditions are not linked to similar structural changes in the brain.