TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain Glucose Metabolism and COMT Val 158 Met Polymorphism in Female Patients with Work-Related Stress
AU - Madsen, Saga Steinmann
AU - Andersen, Thomas Lund
AU - Pihl-Thingvad, Jesper
AU - Brandt, Lars
AU - Olsen, Birgitte Brinkmann
AU - Gerke, Oke
AU - Videbech, Poul
PY - 2024/8/9
Y1 - 2024/8/9
N2 - Stress is a ubiquitous challenge in modern societies. Symptoms range from mood swings and cognitive impairment to autonomic symptoms. This study explores the link between work-related stress and the neurobiological element of brain processing, testing the hypothesis that patients with occupational stress have altered cerebral glucose consumption compared to healthy controls. The participants' present conditions were evaluated using an adapted WHO SCAN interview. Neural activity at rest was assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analogue [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose. Participants were genotyped for the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene, believed to influence stress resilience. This study included 11 women with work-related stress and 11 demographically comparable healthy controls aged 28-62 years, with an average of 46.2 years. The PET scans indicated clusters of decreased glucose consumption primarily located in the white matter of frontal lobe sub-gyral areas in stress patients. COMT Val158Met polymorphism detection indicated no immediate relation of the homozygous alleles and stress resilience; however, healthy controls mainly had the heterozygous allele. In conclusion, the results support that work-related stress does affect the brain in the form of altered glucose metabolism, suggesting neurobiological effects could be related to white matter abnormalities rather than gray matter deterioration. Genotyping indicates a more complex picture than just that of the one type being more resilient to stress. Further studies recruiting a larger number of participants are needed to confirm our preliminary findings.
AB - Stress is a ubiquitous challenge in modern societies. Symptoms range from mood swings and cognitive impairment to autonomic symptoms. This study explores the link between work-related stress and the neurobiological element of brain processing, testing the hypothesis that patients with occupational stress have altered cerebral glucose consumption compared to healthy controls. The participants' present conditions were evaluated using an adapted WHO SCAN interview. Neural activity at rest was assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analogue [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose. Participants were genotyped for the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene, believed to influence stress resilience. This study included 11 women with work-related stress and 11 demographically comparable healthy controls aged 28-62 years, with an average of 46.2 years. The PET scans indicated clusters of decreased glucose consumption primarily located in the white matter of frontal lobe sub-gyral areas in stress patients. COMT Val158Met polymorphism detection indicated no immediate relation of the homozygous alleles and stress resilience; however, healthy controls mainly had the heterozygous allele. In conclusion, the results support that work-related stress does affect the brain in the form of altered glucose metabolism, suggesting neurobiological effects could be related to white matter abnormalities rather than gray matter deterioration. Genotyping indicates a more complex picture than just that of the one type being more resilient to stress. Further studies recruiting a larger number of participants are needed to confirm our preliminary findings.
KW - FDG
KW - catechol-O-methyltransferase
KW - cerebral
KW - occupational stress
KW - psychosocial work environment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202601354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/diagnostics14161730
DO - 10.3390/diagnostics14161730
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39202218
SN - 2075-4418
VL - 14
JO - Diagnostics
JF - Diagnostics
IS - 16
M1 - 1730
ER -