Yuan Cao1,2,3, Yaru Zhan1,4, Miao Du5, Guoshu Zhao1,4, Zhili Liu6, Fuqing Zhou1,4, Laichang He1,4. 1. Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. 2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 3. Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 4. Neuroimaging Lab, Jiangxi Province Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, China. 5. College of Electrical Engineering of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 6. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Brain functional plasticity and reorganization in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is increasingly being explored and validated. However, specific topological alterations in functional networks and their role in CSM brain functional reorganization remain unclear. This study investigates the topological architecture of intrinsic brain functional networks in CSM patients using graph theory. METHODS: Functional MRI was conducted on 67 CSM patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs). The topological organization of the whole-brain functional network was then calculated using theoretical graph analysis. The difference in categorical variables between groups was compared using a chi-squared test, while that between continuous variables was evaluated using a two-sample t-test. Nonparametric permutation tests were used to compare network measures between the two groups. RESULTS: Small-world architecture in functional brain networks were identified in both CSM patients and HCs. Compared with HCs, CSM patients showed a decreased area under the curve (AUC) of the characteristic path length (FDR q=0.040), clustering coefficient (FDR q=0.037), and normalized characteristic path length (FDR q=0.038) of the network. In contrast, there was an increased AUC of normalized clustering coefficient (FDR q=0.014), small-worldness (FDR q=0.009), and global network efficiency (FDR q=0.027) of the network. In local brain regions, nodal topological properties revealed group differences which were predominantly in the default-mode network (DMN), left postcentral gyrus, bilateral putamen, lingual gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: This study reported altered functional topological organization in CSM patients. Decreased nodal centralities in the visual cortex and sensory-motor regions may indicate sensory-motor dysfunction and blurred vision. Furthermore, increased nodal centralities in the cerebellum may be compensatory for sensory-motor dysfunction in CSM, while the increased DMN may indicate increased psychological processing in CSM patients. 2021 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.
BACKGROUND: Brain functional plasticity and reorganization in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is increasingly being explored and validated. However, specific topological alterations in functional networks and their role in CSM brain functional reorganization remain unclear. This study investigates the topological architecture of intrinsic brain functional networks in CSM patients using graph theory. METHODS: Functional MRI was conducted on 67 CSM patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs). The topological organization of the whole-brain functional network was then calculated using theoretical graph analysis. The difference in categorical variables between groups was compared using a chi-squared test, while that between continuous variables was evaluated using a two-sample t-test. Nonparametric permutation tests were used to compare network measures between the two groups. RESULTS: Small-world architecture in functional brain networks were identified in both CSM patients and HCs. Compared with HCs, CSM patients showed a decreased area under the curve (AUC) of the characteristic path length (FDR q=0.040), clustering coefficient (FDR q=0.037), and normalized characteristic path length (FDR q=0.038) of the network. In contrast, there was an increased AUC of normalized clustering coefficient (FDR q=0.014), small-worldness (FDR q=0.009), and global network efficiency (FDR q=0.027) of the network. In local brain regions, nodal topological properties revealed group differences which were predominantly in the default-mode network (DMN), left postcentral gyrus, bilateral putamen, lingual gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: This study reported altered functional topological organization in CSM patients. Decreased nodal centralities in the visual cortex and sensory-motor regions may indicate sensory-motor dysfunction and blurred vision. Furthermore, increased nodal centralities in the cerebellum may be compensatory for sensory-motor dysfunction in CSM, while the increased DMN may indicate increased psychological processing in CSM patients. 2021 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.
Authors: N Tzourio-Mazoyer; B Landeau; D Papathanassiou; F Crivello; O Etard; N Delcroix; B Mazoyer; M Joliot Journal: Neuroimage Date: 2002-01 Impact factor: 6.556
Authors: P Sabbah; Schonen S de; C Leveque; S Gay; F Pfefer; C Nioche; J L Sarrazin; H Barouti; M Tadie; Y S Cordoliani Journal: J Neurotrauma Date: 2002-01 Impact factor: 5.269