Poster No:
1903
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
mitra kamran1, Mohammad-Reza Nazem-Zadeh2, Reza Rostami3, abbas rahimi nezhad1, nima ghorbani1
Institutions:
1university of tehran, tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of, 2Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3University of Tehran, Tehran, Tehran
First Author:
mitra kamran
university of tehran
tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Co-Author(s):
nima ghorbani
university of tehran
tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Introduction:
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease characterized by symptoms such as itching, skin plaques, and dryness, which contribute to significant physical discomfort and psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. Itching is particularly problematic, impacting overall well-being. Emotional factors are crucial in the perception and severity of itching0. Alexithymia, a condition involving difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, has been linked to psychogenic itch and chronic skin disorders, exacerbating psychological distress in psoriasis patients.Research indicates that brain networks responsible for emotional processing, like the Default Mode Network and Salience Network may function differently in individuals with alexithymia, affecting their perception of itch sensations. Altered connectivity between these networks can hinder the integration of emotional experiences with physical sensations such as itching. Studies have shown differences in functional brain network activity between healthy individuals and those with skin conditions regarding itch perception. Patients with chronic pruritus process itch differently than healthy subjects, though specific mechanisms in psoriasis remain unclear. Negative emotions have been found to increase itch sensitivity, indicating a connection between emotional states and physical sensations. Key brain regions involved in emotional processing also play roles in anticipating pain and itch, supporting the link between emotions and these sensations.This study aims to compare the functional brain connections of DMN and SEN in patients with chronic psoriasis to healthy controls using resting-state functional imaging. The hypotheses include:Differences in DMN and SEN activity when viewing emotional images between psoriasis patients and healthy individuals;A negative correlation between itch severity when viewing unpleasant images and DMN/SEN activity;Variations in DMN and SEN activity between psoriasis patients with and without alexithymia. Further research is needed to explore these dynamics and develop targeted interventions.
Methods:
The experimental design included a 45-minute brain imaging session, which began with a 9-minute resting state where participants focused on a black plus sign. This was followed by a 9-minute segment displaying emotional images categorized into pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral states, presented in four blocks with varying orders. Each image was shown for 5 seconds, followed by a 25-second interval for participants to rate their itch and excitement levels on a scale of 1 to 4 using designated finger keys. The total task duration was 540 seconds, and the study also explored the psychological induction of itch through audiovisual stimuli related to scratching and skin conditions. The imaging tasks were designed using Psychopy software and conducted at the National Brain Mapping Laboratory, with visual stimuli projected using E-Prime software.
Results:
Correlation-based analysis revealed reduced functional connectivity between the DMN and SEN in psoriasis compared to healthy subjects at rest. ALSO indicated that patients exhibited increased SEN activity when viewing emotional images, alongside a negative correlation between SEN/DMN activity and itching in response to unpleasant pictures. alexithymia in patients was linked to heightened itching intensity and significantly decreased DMN and SEN activity. Engaging in emotional awareness tasks reduced itchiness and the effects of alexithymia by enhancing SEN activity.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that brain functional patterns process itch differently in psoriasis during rest and task-related imaging. Moreover, the presence of alexithymia in patients was linked to heightened itch severity and a marked decrease in DMN and SEN network activity. These findings suggest that functional brain patterns at rest and during imaging tasks process itch differently in individuals with psoriasis. And it can be used in new treatments.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Psychiatric (eg. Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia) 2
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Anatomy and Functional Systems
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
BOLD fMRI 1
Keywords:
ADULTS
Anxiety
Cognition
Emotions
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Psychiatric
Somatosensory
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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Please indicate below if your study was a "resting state" or "task-activation” study.
Resting state
Task-activation
Healthy subjects only or patients (note that patient studies may also involve healthy subjects):
Patients
Was this research conducted in the United States?
No
Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel?
NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
No
Were any animal research approved by the relevant IACUC or other animal research panel?
NOTE: Any animal studies without IACUC approval will be automatically rejected.
Yes
Please indicate which methods were used in your research:
Functional MRI
For human MRI, what field strength scanner do you use?
3.0T
Which processing packages did you use for your study?
FSL
Provide references using APA citation style.
Capec, S., Petrek, M., Capec, G., Yaremkevych, R., & Andrashko, Y. (2022). Psychologic interventions in patients with the chronic dermatologic itch in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis: A step forward with family constellations seminars. Frontiers in medicine, 9, 965133.3.
Wu, H., Dai, W., Hong, Z., Qin, Y., Yang, M., Wang, B., & Liao, J. (2024). Higher‐order sensorimotor circuit of the whole‐brain functional network involved in pruritus regulation in atopic dermatitis. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 38(5), 873-882.
Liemburg, E. J., Swart, M., Bruggeman, R., Kortekaas, R., Knegtering, H., Ćurčić-Blake, B., & Aleman, A. (2012). Altered resting state connectivity of the default mode network in alexithymia. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 7(6), 660-666.
Najafi, P., Ben Salem, D., Carré, J. L., Misery, L., & Dufor, O. (2020). Functional and anatomical brain connectivity in psoriasis patients and healthy controls: A pilot brain imaging study after exposure to mentally‐induced itch. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
Dehghan Nayyeri, M., Missler, M., Ritterbach, R., Sundermann, B., Wulms, N., Süer, A., ... & Pfleiderer, B. (2022). Altered resting‐state functional connectivity of default mode network in brachioradial pruritus. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 36(11), 2214-2223.
Desbordes, G., Li, A., Loggia, M. L., Kim, J., Schalock, P. C., Lerner, E., ... & Napadow, V. (2015). Evoked itch perception is associated with changes in functional brain connectivity. NeuroImage: Clinical, 7, 213-221.
Jonsson, T., Li, T. Q., Abdelhadi, S., Lönndahl, L., Theodorsson, E., & Nordlind, K. (2024). Atopic dermatitis and stress: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of female patients with atopic dermatitis using an arithmetic task. JEADV Clinical Practice, 3(2), 580-590.
6. Wei, X. Y., Tao, L., Kim, T. E., & Shen, W. D. (2023). Neuroimaging characteristics of pruritus induced by eczema: An fMRI study.
Yi, X., Wang, X., Fu, Y., Luo, Y., Wang, J., Han, Z., ... & Chen, B. T. (2024). Altered brain activity and cognitive impairment in patients with psoriasis. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 38, 557-567.
Mochizuki, H., Hernandez, L. E., Yosipovitch, G., Sadato, N., & Kakigi, R. (2019). The functional network processing acute electrical itch stimuli in humans. Frontiers in physiology, 10, 555.
Yes
Please select the country that the first author on this abstract resides and works in from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and World Bank List of Low and Middle Income Countries (based on gross national income per capita).
Iran, Islamic Rep.