Neurometabolite alterations in Gulf War Illness: a whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Chloe Jones, Olivia Haskin, Jarred Younger

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study

In one paragraph

Observational study in Experimental brain research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04638998 (Assessing Neuroinflammation in Gulf War Illness With Whole-Brain Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04638998 completednot on this map

Assessing Neuroinflammation in Gulf War Illness With Whole-Brain Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamRan2020 to 2023Enrolled49ConditionsGulf War SyndromeArmsMagnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging, Blood draw

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Chloe JonesDepartment of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA. chloej@uab.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7288-8235

Olivia HaskinDepartment of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-3695-6062

Jarred YoungerDepartment of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3616-9919

Funding

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs W81XWH-19-1-0725Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs W81XWH-22-1-0420

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gulf War Illness (GWI) affects approximately 30% of veterans who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue, as well as cognitive, mood, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms. Animal research has suggested that GWI is caused by a combination of neurotoxicants such as nerve gas, anti-nerve agent pills, and pesticides, though a definitive pathophysiological model has not been established. In this human observational study, 20 veterans with GWI and 20 healthy Gulf War veterans (HV) underwent whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy to non-invasively measure several metabolites associated with neuroinflammation. Veterans also completed an arterial spin labeling scan to assess cerebral perfusion. Compared to HV, veterans with GWI demonstrated widespread decreases in brain choline, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine, and regional elevations in lactate and brain temperature. No group difference was observed in cerebral perfusion. Exploratory analyses revealed brain metabolites were associated with self-reported neurotoxicant exposures in theater. These findings support a role of cholinergic alterations and neuroinflammatory processes in GWI. Trial registration: The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT04638998. Registered November 16, 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04638998 .

Indexed as

BrainPersian Gulf SyndromeAdultAspartic AcidCholineCreatineFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyMaleMiddle AgedVeteransAspartic AcidCholineCreatineN-acetylaspartateCholineGulf War SyndromeMagnetic resonance spectroscopyNAANeuroinflammation

Identifiers

PMID41137912

DOI10.1007/s00221-025-07174-w

PMCPMC12553559

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

NCT04638998ClinicalTrials.gov

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.