title: Gray matter abnormalities associated with fibromyalgia: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometric studies.
abstract: Studies employing voxel-based morphometry (VBM) have reported inconsistent findings on the association of gray matter (GM) abnormalities with fibromyalgia. The aim of the present study is to identify the most prominent and replicable GM areas that involved in fibromyalgia.
  
  
  
  A systematic search of the PubMed database from January 2000 to September 2015 was performed to identify eligible whole-brain VBM studies. Comprehensive meta-analyses to investigate regional GM abnormalities in fibromyalgia were conducted with the Seed-based d Mapping software package.
  
  
  
  Seven studies, reporting nine comparisons and including a grand total of 180 fibromyalgia patients and 126 healthy controls, were included in the meta-analyses. In fibromyalgia patients compared with healthy controls, regional GM decreases were consistently found in the bilateral anterior cingulate/paracingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, the bilateral posterior cingulate/paracingulate cortex, the left parahippocampal gyrus/fusiform cortex, and the right parahippocampal gyrus/hippocampus. Regional GM increases were consistently found in the left cerebellum. Meta-regression demonstrated that age was correlated with GM anomalies in fibromyalgia patients.
  
  
  
  The current meta-analysis identified a characteristic pattern of GM alterations within the medial pain system, default mode network, and cerebro-cerebellar circuits, which further supports the concept that fibromyalgia is a symptom complex involving brain areas beyond those implicated in chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, P.R. China.
authors.forename: HaiCun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, P.R. China.
authors.forename: CongHu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, P.R. China.
authors.forename: ZhenYu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 215300, Chaoyang Rd 189#, Kunshan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: HaiRong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 215300, Chaoyang Rd 189#, Kunshan, P.R. China. Electronic address: kszyyslq@sina.com.
authors.forename: LiQin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009929:Organ Size; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Fibromyalgia; Gray matter; Meta-analysis; Seed-based d Mapping; Voxel-based morphometry