title: Reduced cerebral cortical thickness in Non-cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with fatigue, depression, and cognitive impairment even in the absence of severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. HCV has been hypothesised to cause neurodegenerative changes through low-grade neuroinflammation. Our aim was to examine whether cortical thickness (CTh) differs between chronic HCV patients and healthy controls, suggestive of cortical atrophy. In this case-control study 43 HCV patients without severe liver fibrosis, substance abuse, or comorbid HIV or hepatitis B virus infection, and 43 age and sex matched controls underwent MRI. Cortical thickness was measured using a surface based approach. Participants underwent semi-structured psychiatric interview and fatigue was assessed using the fatigue severity scale. HCV was associated with higher fatigue scores, and 58 % of HCV patients suffered from significant fatigue (p < 0.0001). Depression was observed in 16 % of patients. Areas of significantly reduced CTh were found in both left and right occipital cortex and in the left frontal lobe after correction for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). No association between fatigue, former substance abuse, or psychotropic medication and CTh was found. No overall difference in cerebral white and grey matter volume was found. The findings support the hypothesis that HCV is associated with neurodegenerative changes.
authors.affiliation: Department for Affective Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Risskov, Denmark. simon@dadlnet.dk.|Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. simon@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hjerrild
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.|Department for Affective Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Signe Groth
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Renvillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leutscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Aarhus University Hopsital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Leif Hougaard
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Østergaard
authors.affiliation: Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Simon Fristed
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Eskildsen
authors.affiliation: Department for Affective Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Videbech
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain; Cortical thickness; Depression; Fatigue; Hepatitis C; Neuroimaging