Neurophysiological and MRI data 3

The files contain neurophysiological and MRI (T2 weighted MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging) data from 20 patients with primary biliary cholangitis and 20 controls

Neurophysiological and MRI data 1

The files contain neurophysiological and MRI (T2 weighted MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging) data from 20 patients with primary biliary cholangitis and 20 controls

Neurophysiological and MRI data 4

The files contain neurophysiological and MRI (T2 weighted MRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging) data from 20 patients with primary biliary cholangitis and 20 controls

Computerized test battery of attention performance.

<p>20 patients with PBC and 20 age- and sex-matched controls underwent a computerized test battery of attention performance (TAP) in order of the figure appearance. No differences of reaction time were observed between both groups within all subtests (Wilcoxon matched pairs test). Alertness I without and with warning signal (WS) (A), divided attention auditive/visual (B), 30 minutes vigilance test first half/second half (C), alertness II without and with warning signal (WS) (D). PBC, primary biliary cholangitis.</p

Neuropsychological assessment.

<p>Neuropsychological assessment.</p

Patients with primary biliary cholangitis and fatigue present with depressive symptoms and selected cognitive deficits, but with normal attention performance and brain structure

<div><p>Background</p><p>In primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) fatigue is a major clinical challenge of unknown etiology. By demonstrating that fatigue in PBC is associated with an impaired cognitive performance, previous studies have pointed out the possibility of brain abnormalities underlying fatigue in PBC. Whether structural brain changes are present in PBC patients with fatigue, however, is unclear. To evaluate the role of structural brain abnormalities in PBC patients severely affected from fatigue we, therefore, performed a case-control cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) study and correlated changes of white and grey brain matter with the cognitive and attention performance.</p><p>Methods</p><p>20 female patients with PBC and 20 female age-matched controls were examined in this study. The assessment of fatigue, psychological symptoms, cognitive and attention performance included clinical questionnaires, established cognition tests and a computerized test battery of attention performance. T1-weighted cMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans were acquired with a 3 Tesla scanner. Structural brain alterations were investigated with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and DTI analyses. Results were correlated to the cognitive and attention performance.</p><p>Results</p><p>Compared to healthy controls, PBC patients had significantly higher levels of fatigue and associated psychological symptoms. Except for an impairment of verbal fluency, no cognitive or attention deficits were found in the PBC cohort. The VBM and DTI analyses revealed neither major structural brain abnormalities in the PBC cohort nor correlations with the cognitive and attention performance.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Despite the high burden of fatigue and selected cognitive deficits, the attention performance of PBC patients appears to be comparable to healthy people. As structural brain alterations do not seem to be present in PBC patients with fatigue, fatigue in PBC must be regarded as purely functional. Future studies should evaluate, whether functional brain changes underlie fatigue in PBC.</p></div

Patient characteristics.

<p>Patient characteristics.</p

Cognitive assessment.

<p>20 patients with PBC and 20 age- and sex-matched controls underwent a cognitive assessment. Compared to healthy controls, patients with PBC had a significant impairment of lexical and semantic verbal fluency (C), while results from digit span (A), digit ordering A and B (B) and trail making A and B (D) tests were similar, indicating no differences with respect to working memory and cognitive flexibility between both groups. DOT-A, digit ordering A; DOT-B, digit ordering B; PBC, primary biliary cholangitis; **, p<0.01 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test).</p

Assessment of fatigue and psychological symptoms.

<p>20 patients with PBC and 20 age- and sex-matched controls were assessed with respect to fatigue and psychological symptoms. Compared to healthy controls, patients with PBC had significantly higher levels of fatigue (WEIMUS, A), depressive (BDI, B) as well as psychological symptoms (SCL-90-R). C presents the total SCL-90-R score, while D shows results from SCL-90-R subgroup analysis. BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; PBC, primary biliary cholangitis; SCL-90-R, Symptom Check List of Derogatis; WEIMUS, Würzburg depletion Inventory for multiple sclerosis. *, p<0.05; **, p<0.01 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test).</p

Voxel-based morphometry.

<p>Voxel-based morphometry.</p