title: Absence of change in the gray matter volume of patients with ulcerative colitis in remission: a voxel based morphometry study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent neuroimaging studies have investigated the brain involvement in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Functional studies found abnormalities in cognitive and emotional functions in CD and UC, while a voxel based morphometry (VBM) study found morphological changes in CD. We conducted a VBM study to compare the gray matter (GM) volume of UC patients and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen UC patients in remission and eighteen healthy controls underwent structural MRI. VBM is a fully automated technique allowing identification of regional differences in the amount of GM, which enables an objective analysis of the whole brain. VBM was used for comparisons between patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UC patients were all in remission and had a mild clinical course. There were no differences between patients and controls in GM volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The brain morphology of patients with UC in remission is similar to controls. The lack of GM abnormalities in UC patients might reflect the mild clinical course of the inflammatory bowel disorder. Further research involving patients with different degrees of disease severity or during flares could shed more light on potential brain structural changes in UC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy ; Department of Clinical Medicine, IBD Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, IBD Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, IBD Unit, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertani
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, IBD Unit, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarcelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic Sciences, and Neurosciences, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino-Estense, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ballotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, IBD Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, IBD Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzello
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, IBD Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gionchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic Sciences, and Neurosciences, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino-Estense, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nichelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic Sciences, and Neurosciences, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino-Estense, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benuzzi
keywords: Gray matter volume; Ulcerative Colitis; Voxel based morphometry