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Brain structure and joint hypermobility: relevance to the expression of psychiatric symptoms

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 13:33 authored by Jessica EcclesJessica Eccles, Felix D C Beacher, Marcus A Gray, Catherine L Jones, Ludovico Minati, Neil Harrison, Hugo CritchleyHugo Critchley
Joint hypermobility is overrepresented among people with anxiety and can be associated with abnormal autonomic reactivity. We tested for associations between regional cerebral grey matter and hypermobility in 72 healthy volunteers using voxel-based morphometry of structural brain scans. Strikingly, bilateral amygdala volume distinguished those with from those without hypermobility. The hypermobility group scored higher for interoceptive sensitivity yet were not significantly more anxious. Our findings specifically link hypermobility to the structural integrity of a brain centre implicated in normal and abnormal emotions and physiological responses. Our observations endorse hypermobility as a multisystem phenotype and suggest potential mechanisms mediating clinical vulnerability to neuropsychiatric symptoms

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

The British Journal of Psychiatry

ISSN

0007-1250

Publisher

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Issue

6

Volume

200

Page range

508-509

Department affiliated with

  • Clinical and Experimental Medicine Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-11-28

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