Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41350630›Full record

ArticleBMC medical imaging2025

Precision connectivity in osteoarthritis pain with permutation and network analysis: a key step toward clinical application.

Belfin Robinson, Emilio G Cediel, William Reuther, Aryan Kodali, Ellora Srabani, Olivia Leggio, Vibhor Krishna, Varina L Boerwinkle

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical imaging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Belfin RobinsonClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Emilio G CedielClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
William ReutherClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Aryan KodaliClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Ellora SrabaniClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Olivia LeggioClinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Vibhor Krishna *Department of Neurosurgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Varina L Boerwinkle *Clinical Resting State fMRI Service, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. varina_boerwinkle@med.unc.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study seeks to identify brain regions with atypical neural connectivity in individuals suffering from arthritis-related chronic pain, compared to healthy controls, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

methodsA seed-based connectivity analysis was conducted between the known pain-related regions of interest (ROIs), derived from the MNI (n = 76) and the Automated Anatomical Labeling (AAL) whole brain atlas (n = 116). We examined the connectivity differences in a cohort of 56 osteoarthritis patients and 20 healthy controls. Connectivity matrices were compared using permutation tests corrected for multiple comparisons, identifying statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Subsequent network analysis resulted in hub scores, identifying the most central and influential brain regions within the altered connectivity network in patients experiencing pain.

resultsThe most significant atypical neural connections in osteoarthritis patients were identified in the cingulate gyrus, insula, inferior parietal lobe, and thalamus, with notable involvement of the occipital lobe, postcentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal lobe, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. The thalamus, cingulate gyrus, and insula emerged as key hubs in the chronic pain network, reflecting disrupted sensory, emotional, and cognitive pain processing. No significant connectivity differences were found in the brainstem, cerebellum, superior parietal lobe, precentral gyrus, superior and middle frontal gyri, or amygdala.

conclusionOur data-driven approach reveals specific neural connectivity disruptions in OA, highlighting connections between the cingulate gyrus, temporal lobe, and thalamus. These findings identify specific network disruptions in OA-related pain, offering insight into altered brain connectivity and potential avenues for targeted interventions.

Indexed as

BrainChronic PainMagnetic Resonance ImagingNerve NetOsteoarthritisAdultAgedBrain MappingCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeural PathwaysChronic painNetwork analysisOsteoarthritisPermutationrs-fMRISeed analysis

Identifiers

PMID41350630
PMCPMC12681176

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.