Synopsis
To measure functional connectivity density maps
were applied with resting-state functional MRI. Twenty-one patients and
twenty-two age- and gender-matched healthy controls were evaluated by 3T MRI
using resting-state blood oxygenation level dependent imaging. POAG patients
showed decreased FCD values in visual cortices and increased FCD values of DMN
components. This study demonstrates POAG can induce reorganization of brain
function in multiple brain regions, including visual cortices and DMN.Purpose
To
measure the functional reorganization pattern of primary open-angle glaucoma
(POAG), functional connectivity density (FCD) maps were applied with
resting-state functional MRI.
Methods
Our
hypothesis is that reorganization of functional connectivity in visual cortices
and remote visual correlated brain areas can be detected in POAG patients. In
this study, twenty-one patients and twenty-two age- and gender-matched healthy
controls were evaluated by 3T MRI using resting-state blood oxygenation level
dependent imaging. The subjects in both groups underwent a thorough history and
physical examination including an ophthalmology examination. After the preprocessing
steps, the long-range and short-range FCD maps derived from degree centrality
calculation were calculated. A two-sample t-test was conducted to show the
difference between the two groups. The threshold was set at p-values < 0.01
using Monte Carlo simulations (corrected, AlphaSim program, single voxel P=0.01,
10000 simulations, FWHM is estimated by software, cluster connection radius r=5
mm, calculation with a GM mask, resolution=3 mm × 3 mm × 3 mm voxel size).
Results
Compared
with normal controls, POAG patients showed decreased long-range FCD values in
bilateral occipital visual cortices and left precentral gyrus, and decreased
short-range FCD values in bilateral occipital visual cortices and cerebellum
posterior lobes. Moreover, POAG patients showed increased long-range and
short-range FCD values in bilateral insula and cingulate gyrus, and increased
short-range FCD value in bilateral inferior parietal lobe.
Discussion
FCD
is a voxel wise data-driven method based on fMRI, reflecting the complex
connectome of brain 1. The decrease of short-range FCD in occipital
lobes indicates that the neural connectivity in the visual cortices reduced.
And the decrease of long-range FCD of occipital lobes indicates impaired
connections between visual cortices and remote voxels. Precentral gyrus is
somatosensory cortex which is related with primary visual cortex, and previous
glaucoma MRI study also reported decreased spontaneous activity in this area 2. These findings are compatible with vision loss
caused by POAG. The cingulate gyrus and inferior parietal lobe belong to
default mode network, which receive intrinsic information from early visual
cortex and shows reduced response to visual stimuli 3. Thus, the increased FCD of DMN components may
be associated with the decrease FCD in visual cortices. These findings
suggested the intrinsic information delivery in visual cortices and DMN changed
in POAG patients.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates POAG can induce
reorganization of brain function in multiple brain regions, including visual
cortices and DMN.
Acknowledgements
No acknowledgement found.References
1.Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Functional
connectivity density mapping. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010;107:9885-90.
2.Song Y, Mu K, Wang J, et al. Altered spontaneous brain activity
in primary open angle glaucoma: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance
imaging study. PLoS One. 2014;9:e89493.
3.Harmelech T, Friedman D, Malach R. Differential magnetic
resonance neurofeedback modulations across extrinsic (visual) and intrinsic
(default-mode) nodes of the human cortex. J Neurosci. 2015;35:2588-95.