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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDBrain imaging and behavior

Altered brain function and its spatial correlations with neurotransmitter maps in anterior shoulder pain patients.

  • Zhijun Diao1
  • Huan Li1,2
  • Yujia Li3,4
  • Chengxiang Liu3,4
  • Yunsong Zheng5
  • Jingdong Lu3,4
  • Yintao Liu3,4
  • Zi Wei3,4
  • Peng Liu3,4
  • Haifa Qiao6
6 affiliations
  1. 1Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, 712046, China.
  2. 2Department of Rehabilitation, 3201 Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, 723000, China.
  3. 3School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710071, China.
  4. 4Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
  5. 5The Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, 712000, China.
  6. 6Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, 712046, China. [email protected].
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Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have reported that chronic pain may be associated with brain functional changes and related molecular mechanisms. However, there are few studies in anterior shoulder pain (ASP). Thus, we aimed to assess the possible brain functional changes and their associations with neurotransmitter receptor maps in ASP patients. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 27 ASP patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) methods were used to examine altered brain functions. JuSpace toolbox was employed for evaluating the spatial correlations between ReHo and fALFF changes and neurotransmitter receptor maps. Regression analysis was conducted to explore the associations between neuroimaging findings and clinical characteristics in ASP patients. Furthermore, we investigated reliable biomarkers to distinguish ASP patients from HCs using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. ASP patients had abnormal ReHo/fALFF in the middle temporal gyrus, putamen, caudate, pallidum, precentral gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex and inferior temporal gyrus. ReHo/fALFF alterations in ASP patients were associated with the serotonin, dopamine, GABA, choline, glutamate and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Visual analog scale was positively correlated with ReHo in the right insula. Moreover, ROC analysis showed higher classification accuracy in the middle temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus and putamen. Our study investigated abnormal brain function and associated neurotransmitter receptor maps in ASP patients, which may contribute to improving our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in ASP.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{diao2026altered,
  title = {{Altered brain function and its spatial correlations with neurotransmitter maps in anterior shoulder pain patients.}},
  author = {Zhijun Diao and Huan Li and Yujia Li and Chengxiang Liu and Yunsong Zheng and Jingdong Lu and Yintao Liu and Zi Wei and Peng Liu and Haifa Qiao},
  journal = {Brain imaging and behavior},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1007/s11682-026-01171-5},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897350},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Altered brain function and its spatial correlations with neurotransmitter maps in anterior shoulder pain patients.
AU  - Zhijun Diao
AU  - Huan Li
AU  - Yujia Li
AU  - Chengxiang Liu
AU  - Yunsong Zheng
AU  - Jingdong Lu
AU  - Yintao Liu
AU  - Zi Wei
AU  - Peng Liu
AU  - Haifa Qiao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/20
JO  - Brain imaging and behavior
DO  - 10.1007/s11682-026-01171-5
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897350
AB  - Neuroimaging studies have reported that chronic pain may be associated with brain functional changes and related molecular mechanisms. However, there are few studies in anterior shoulder pain (ASP). Thus, we aimed to assess the possible brain functional changes and their associations with neurotransmitter receptor maps in ASP patients. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 27 ASP patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) methods were used to examine altered brain functions. JuSpace toolbox was employed for evaluating the spatial correlations between ReHo and fALFF changes and neurotransmitter receptor maps. Regression analysis was conducted to explore the associations between neuroimaging findings and clinical characteristics in ASP patients. Furthermore, we investigated reliable biomarkers to distinguish ASP patients from HCs using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. ASP patients had abnormal ReHo/fALFF in the middle temporal gyrus, putamen, caudate, pallidum, precentral gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex and inferior temporal gyrus. ReHo/fALFF alterations in ASP patients were associated with the serotonin, dopamine, GABA, choline, glutamate and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Visual analog scale was positively correlated with ReHo in the right insula. Moreover, ROC analysis showed higher classification accuracy in the middle temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus and putamen. Our study investigated abnormal brain function and associated neurotransmitter receptor maps in ASP patients, which may contribute to improving our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in ASP.
SN  - 1931-7557
SN  - 1931-7565
ER  -