Altered Posterior Cerebellar Lobule Connectivity With Perigenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Women With Primary Dysmenorrhea

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the potential connectivity mechanism between the cerebellum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the cerebellar structure in primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). Methods: We applied the spatially unbiased infratentorial template (SUIT) of the cerebellum to obtain anatomical details of cerebellar lobules, upon which the functional connectivity (FC) between the cerebellar lobules and ACC subregions was analyzed and the gray matter (GM) volume of cerebellar lobules was measured by using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in 35 PDM females and 38 age-matched healthy females. The potential relationship between the altered FC or GM volume and clinical information was also evaluated in PDM females. Results: PDM females showed higher connectivity between the left perigenual ACC (pACC) and lobule vermis_VI, between the left pACC and left lobule IX, and between right pACC and right cerebellar lobule VIIb than did the healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, no altered GM volume was found in PDM females. No significant correlation was found between altered cerebellum–ACC FC and the clinical variables in the PDM females. Conclusion: PDM females have abnormal posterior cerebellar connectivity with pACC but no abnormal structural changes. ACC–cerebellar circuit disturbances might be involved in the PDM females.