Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32002761›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2020

No evidence of abnormal metabolic or inflammatory activity in the brains of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a preliminary study using whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI).

Christina Mueller, Joanne C Lin, Halle H Thannickal, Altamish Daredia, Thomas S Denney, Ronald Beyers, Jarred W Younger

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Metabolites as drivers and targets in rheumatoid arthritis.Clinical and experimental immunology · 2022
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Repeatability and Reproducibility ofFrontiers in human neuroscience · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Christina MuellerDepartment of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Joanne C LinSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Halle H ThannickalDepartment of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Altamish DarediaDepartment of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Thomas S DenneyDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Ronald BeyersDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Jarred W YoungerDepartment of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. younger@uab.edu.
University of Alabama at Birmingham · USAuburn University · USUniversity of Auckland · NZUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor · US

Funding

Rheumatology Research Foundation Disease Targeted Research Pilot Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/

objectivesMany individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report persistent fatigue even after management of peripheral disease activity. This study used whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) to investigate whether abnormal inflammatory activity in the central nervous system may be associated with such symptoms. We hypothesized that RA patients would show higher brain choline (CHO), myo-inositol (MI), and lactate (LAC), and higher brain temperature than healthy controls. We further hypothesized that the metabolite levels would be positively correlated with self-reported fatigue.

methodThirteen women with RA provided fatigue severity ratings and underwent whole-brain MRSI and a joint examination. Thirteen healthy controls (HC) provided comparison imaging and fatigue data. CHO, MI, LAC, and brain temperature in 47 brain regions were contrasted between groups using independent-samples t tests. Significant differences were determined using a false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p value threshold of ≤ 0.0023. Secondary analyses obtained correlations between imaging and clinical outcomes in the RA group.

resultsNo brain metabolic differences were identified between the groups. In the RA group, fatigue severity was positively correlated with CHO in several brain regions-most strongly the right frontal lobe (r

conclusionsWe conclude that abnormal brain metabolites are not a common feature of RA, but may been seen in patients with persistent fatigue or disease activity after conventional treatment.Key Points• Whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed no metabolic abnormalities in the brain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.• Brain choline levels were correlated with fatigue severity reported by RA patients and with peripheral joint swelling and tenderness.• Brain myo-inositol levels were similarly correlated with fatigue severity in RA patients.

Indexed as

Magnetic Resonance ImagingMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyAdultArthritis, RheumatoidBrainCase-Control StudiesCholineFemaleHumansInositolLactic AcidMaleMiddle AgedCholineInositolLactic AcidBrain metabolitesBrain temperatureMagnetic resonance spectroscopyRheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID32002761
PMCPMC7237391
OpenAlexW3004278276

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.