OBJECTIVE: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience cognitive deficits even when unaffected by stroke. Using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a potential biomarker of cognitive function, we tested our hypothesis that children with SCD would have decreased functional connectivity, and that children experiencing the greatest metabolic stress, indicated by elevated oxygen extraction fraction, would have the lowest connectivity. METHODS: We prospectively obtained brain MRIs and cognitive testing in healthy controls and children with SCD. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 60 participants (20 controls and 40 with sickle cell disease). There was no difference in global cognition or cognitive subdomains between cohorts. However, we found decreased functional connectivity within the sensory-motor, lateral sensory-motor, auditory, salience, and subcortical networks in participants with SCD compared with controls. Further, as white matter oxygen extraction fraction increased, connectivity within the visual (p = 0.008, parameter estimate = -0.760 [95% CI = -1.297, -0.224]), default mode (p = 0.012, parameter estimate = -0.417 [95% CI = -0.731, -0.104]), and cingulo-opercular (p = 0.009, parameter estimate = -0.883 [95% CI = -1.517, -0.250]) networks decreased. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that there is diminished functional connectivity within these anatomically contiguous networks in children with SCD compared with controls, even when differences are not seen with cognitive testing. Increased white matter oxygen extraction fraction was associated with decreased connectivity in select networks. These data suggest that elevated oxygen extraction fraction and disrupted functional connectivity are potentially presymptomatic neuroimaging biomarkers for cognitive decline in SCD. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:995-1008.
OBJECTIVE: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience cognitive deficits even when unaffected by stroke. Using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a potential biomarker of cognitive function, we tested our hypothesis that children with SCD would have decreased functional connectivity, and that children experiencing the greatest metabolic stress, indicated by elevated oxygen extraction fraction, would have the lowest connectivity. METHODS: We prospectively obtained brain MRIs and cognitive testing in healthy controls and children with SCD. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 60 participants (20 controls and 40 with sickle cell disease). There was no difference in global cognition or cognitive subdomains between cohorts. However, we found decreased functional connectivity within the sensory-motor, lateral sensory-motor, auditory, salience, and subcortical networks in participants with SCD compared with controls. Further, as white matter oxygen extraction fraction increased, connectivity within the visual (p = 0.008, parameter estimate = -0.760 [95% CI = -1.297, -0.224]), default mode (p = 0.012, parameter estimate = -0.417 [95% CI = -0.731, -0.104]), and cingulo-opercular (p = 0.009, parameter estimate = -0.883 [95% CI = -1.517, -0.250]) networks decreased. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that there is diminished functional connectivity within these anatomically contiguous networks in children with SCD compared with controls, even when differences are not seen with cognitive testing. Increased white matter oxygen extraction fraction was associated with decreased connectivity in select networks. These data suggest that elevated oxygen extraction fraction and disrupted functional connectivity are potentially presymptomatic neuroimaging biomarkers for cognitive decline in SCD. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:995-1008.
Authors: Nico U F Dosenbach; Damien A Fair; Francis M Miezin; Alexander L Cohen; Kristin K Wenger; Ronny A T Dosenbach; Michael D Fox; Abraham Z Snyder; Justin L Vincent; Marcus E Raichle; Bradley L Schlaggar; Steven E Petersen Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2007-06-18 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Allison A King; John J Strouse; Mark J Rodeghier; Bruce E Compas; James F Casella; Robert C McKinstry; Michael J Noetzel; Charles T Quinn; Rebecca Ichord; Michael M Dowling; J Philip Miller; Michael R Debaun Journal: Am J Hematol Date: 2014-02 Impact factor: 10.047
Authors: Kristin P Guilliams; Melanie E Fields; Dustin K Ragan; Cihat Eldeniz; Michael M Binkley; Yasheng Chen; Liam S Comiskey; Allan Doctor; Monica L Hulbert; Joshua S Shimony; Katie D Vo; Robert C McKinstry; Hongyu An; Jin-Moo Lee; Andria L Ford Journal: Blood Date: 2017-12-18 Impact factor: 22.113
Authors: Barbara P Yawn; George R Buchanan; Araba N Afenyi-Annan; Samir K Ballas; Kathryn L Hassell; Andra H James; Lanetta Jordan; Sophie M Lanzkron; Richard Lottenberg; William J Savage; Paula J Tanabe; Russell E Ware; M Hassan Murad; Jonathan C Goldsmith; Eduardo Ortiz; Robinson Fulwood; Ann Horton; Joylene John-Sowah Journal: JAMA Date: 2014-09-10 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Rachel F Buckley; Aaron P Schultz; Trey Hedden; Kathryn V Papp; Bernard J Hanseeuw; Gad Marshall; Jorge Sepulcre; Emily E Smith; Dorene M Rentz; Keith A Johnson; Reisa A Sperling; Jasmeer P Chhatwal Journal: Neurology Date: 2017-06-07 Impact factor: 9.910
Authors: Matthew S Karafin; Guangyu Chen; Nancy J Wandersee; Amanda M Brandow; Robert W Hurley; Pippa Simpson; Doug Ward; Shi-Jiang Li; Joshua J Field Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-05-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Ravi R Bhatt; Lonnie K Zeltzer; Julie Coloigner; John C Wood; Tom D Coates; Jennifer S Labus Journal: Neuroimage Clin Date: 2019-01-22 Impact factor: 4.881
Authors: Melanie E Fields; Amy E Mirro; Michael M Binkley; Kristin P Guilliams; Josiah B Lewis; Slim Fellah; Yasheng Chen; Monica L Hulbert; Hongyu An; Andria L Ford; Jin-Moo Lee Journal: Am J Hematol Date: 2022-02-14 Impact factor: 13.265
Authors: Hanne Stotesbury; Jamie M Kawadler; Jonathan D Clayden; Dawn E Saunders; Anna M Hood; Melanie Koelbel; Sati Sahota; David C Rees; Olu Wilkey; Mark Layton; Maria Pelidis; Baba P D Inusa; Jo Howard; Subarna Chakravorty; Chris A Clark; Fenella J Kirkham Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2022-06-29 Impact factor: 4.086
Authors: Yan Wang; Slim Fellah; Melanie E Fields; Kristin P Guilliams; Michael M Binkley; Cihat Eldeniz; Joshua S Shimony; Martin Reis; Katie D Vo; Yasheng Chen; Jin-Moo Lee; Hongyu An; Andria L Ford Journal: Neurology Date: 2021-06-25 Impact factor: 9.910