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Qi CX, Wen Z, Huang X. Altered functional connectivity strength of primary visual cortex in subjects with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Neuroreport 2024; 35:568-576. [PMID: 38652513 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000002039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Our objective was to explore the disparities in the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) patterns of primary visual cortex (V1) between patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and healthy controls (HCs) utilizing resting-state functional MRI. Twenty-one patients with TAO (14 males and 7 females; mean age: 54.17 ± 4.83 years) and 21 well-matched HCs (14 males and 7 females; mean age: 55.17 ± 5.37 years) underwent functional MRI scans in the resting-state. We assessed modifications in the intrinsic FC patterns of the V1 in TAO patients using the FC method. Subsequently, the identified alterations in FC regions in the analysis were selected as classification features to distinguish TAO patients from HCs through the support vector machine (SVM) method. The results indicated that, in comparison to HCs, patients with TAO exhibited notably reduced FC values between the left V1 and the bilateral calcarine (CAL), lingual gyrus (LING) and superior occipital gyrus, as well as between the right V1 and the bilateral CAL/LING and the right cerebellum. Furthermore, the SVM classification model based on FC maps demonstrated effective performance in distinguishing TAO patients from HCs, achieving an accuracy of 61.9% using the FC of the left V1 and 64.29% using the FC of the right V1. Our study revealed that patients with TAO manifested disruptions in FC between the V1 and higher visual regions during rest. This might indicate that TAO patients could present with impaired top-down modulations, visual imagery and vision-motor function. These insights could be valuable in understanding the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of vision impairment in individuals with TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Xing Qi
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University
| | - Zhi Wen
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
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Tesfaye E, Getnet M, Anmut Bitew D, Adugna DG, Maru L. Brain functional connectivity in hyperthyroid patients: systematic review. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1383355. [PMID: 38726033 PMCID: PMC11080614 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1383355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Functional connectivity (FC) is the correlation between brain regions' activities, studied through neuroimaging techniques like fMRI. It helps researchers understand brain function, organization, and dysfunction. Hyperthyroidism, characterized by high serum levels of free thyroxin and suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone, can lead to mood disturbance, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric symptoms. Excessive thyroid hormone exposure can enhance neuronal death and decrease brain volume, affecting memory, attention, emotion, vision, and motor planning. Methods We conducted thorough searches across Google Scholar, PubMed, Hinari, and Science Direct to locate pertinent articles containing original data investigating FC measures in individuals diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Results The systematic review identified 762 articles, excluding duplicates and non-matching titles and abstracts. Four full-text articles were included in this review. In conclusion, a strong bilateral hippocampal connection in hyperthyroid individuals suggests a possible neurobiological influence on brain networks that may affect cognitive and emotional processing. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO, CRD42024516216.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ephrem Tesfaye
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Bale-Robe, Ethiopia
| | - Mihret Getnet
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Desalegn Anmut Bitew
- Department of Reproductive Health, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Dagnew Getnet Adugna
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Lemlemu Maru
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Wu Q, Zhou J, Fang W, Jiang WH, Pu XY, Chen HH, Xu XQ, Hu H, Wu FY. Structural and Functional Brain Changes After Glucocorticoid Therapy in Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024; 109:649-658. [PMID: 37864850 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the brain structural and functional alterations in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) before and after glucocorticoid therapy, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) as well as resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). METHODS Between 2019 and 2022, 32 patients with TAO and 23 healthy controls underwent pre-therapy MRI in Nanjing, China. Intravenous glucocorticoid therapy was administered to all patients. At 3 months after end of therapy, 26 patients were available for rescanned MRI. VBM, ALFF, and ReHo were used to evaluate the brain structural and functional differences. RESULTS Before therapy, TAO patients showed significantly decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in the left orbital part of superior frontal gyrus (ORBsup) and medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed) than healthy controls. Patients had higher ALFF values in bilateral gyrus rectus and olfactory cortex and lower values in bilateral cuneus. Patients also showed decreased ReHo values in bilateral lingual gyrus. After therapy, increased GMV in the left anterior cingulate gyrus and SFGmed, increased ALFF values in bilateral cuneus and superior occipital gyrus, and increased ReHo values in bilateral SFGmed were found in TAO patients compared to the pre-therapy cohort. Compared to controls, decreased GMV in left ORBsup was observed in post-therapy TAO patients. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that TAO might cause functional and structural deficits in the visual and emotional regions of the brain, with recovery in the former and partial restoration in the latter after effective glucocorticoid therapy. These findings may lead to deeper understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism behind TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Jiang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Department of Radiology, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Taicang 215006, China
| | - Wen-Hao Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Xiong-Ying Pu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Huan-Huan Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Xiao-Quan Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Fei-Yun Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
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Duan Q, Wang Z, Cheung W, Liu J, Zhang H, Qiao W, Zhang Q. Functional decoding and meta-analytic connectivity modeling in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23749. [PMID: 38226223 PMCID: PMC10788440 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an orbital disease closely related to thyroid disease with a long-lasting duration that can be blinding and disabling. Recently, structural and functional neuroimaging studies have been performed in TAO patients, but studies have reported inconsistent results. This quantitative meta-analysis was conducted to identify convergent patterns of abnormal brain function among different studies in TAO. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science, performed reference tracking, and retrieved 15 eligible studies. Peak coordinates were extracted from these studies and subsequently tested for convergence using activation likelihood estimation (ALE). Results Compared to healthy subjects, resting-state brain activity in the whole brain of TAO patients was significantly increased in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and decreased in the left cuneus/precuneus. Functional decoding analysis of the BrainMap database revealed that these regions are predominantly associated with cognitive and emotional impairment. In this study, task-related meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) analysis was used to describe the connectivity and function of the two seed regions. Significant coactivation of these regions was found primarily in the bilateral superior parietal lobule, medial frontal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, supplementary motor area and thalamus. Conclusion Our findings underscore the role of the SFG and the cuneus/precuneus in the pathophysiology of TAO, highlighting the crucial impact of working memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qidang Duan
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Zhihong Wang
- The first people's hospital of lanzhou city, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | | | - Jing Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Gerontology, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Huiyan Zhang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750000, China
| | - Wenjun Qiao
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750000, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Gerontology, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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Zhang H, Liu Y, Jiang M, Shen F, Zhu T, Xia D, Li J, Fang S, Li Y, Sun J, Song X, Zhou H, Fan X. Immune-related visual dysfunction in thyroid eye disease: a combined orbital and brain neuroimaging study. Eur Radiol 2023:10.1007/s00330-023-10309-8. [PMID: 38112763 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-10309-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the pathological interplay between immunity and the visual processing system (VPS) in thyroid eye disease (TED). METHODS A total of 24 active patients (AP), 26 inactive patients (IP) of TED, and 27 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) were conducted for each participant. Multiple MRI parameters of the intraorbital optic nerve (ON) were assessed. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated. Correlation analyses were carried out on the above parameters and clinical characteristics. RESULTS Visual functioning scores differentiated between the AP and IP groups. The ON subarachnoid space and ON sheath diameter were significantly higher in AP than in IP. Six vision-related brain regions were identified in TED patients compared with HCs, including right calcarine (CAL.R), right cuneus (CUN.R), left postcentral gyrus (PoCG.L), right middle temporal gyrus (MTG.R), left superior frontal gyrus (SFG.L), and left caudate (CAU.L). The brain activity of MTG.R, SFG.L, and CAU.L differentiated between the AP and IP groups. The correlation analysis revealed a close association among the vision-related brain regions, MRI parameters of ON, and clinical characteristics in AP and IP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Combined orbital and brain neuroimaging revealed abnormalities of the VPS in TED, which had a close correlation with immune statuses. Vision-related brain regions in TED might be possibly altered by peripheral immunity via a direct or indirect approach. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT The discovery of this study explained the disparity of visual dysfunction in TED patients with different immune statuses. With the uncovered neuroimaging markers, early detection and intervention of visual dysfunction could be achieved and potentially benefit TED patients. KEY POINTS • Patients with different immune statuses of thyroid eye disease varied in the presentation of visual dysfunction. • The combined orbital and brain neuroimaging study identified six altered vision-related brain regions, which had a significant correlation with the MRI parameters of the intraorbital optic nerve and immunological characteristics. • Peripheral immunity might possibly give rise to alterations in the central nervous system part of the visual processing system via a direct or indirect approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuting Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengda Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feiyang Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyi Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Duojin Xia
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jipeng Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Sijie Fang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinwei Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuefei Song
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Huifang Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xianqun Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China.
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Jiang W, Liu J, Zhou J, Wu Q, Pu X, Chen H, Xu X, Wu F, Hu H. Altered dynamic brain activity and functional connectivity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5346-5356. [PMID: 37515416 PMCID: PMC10543102 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous neuroimaging evidence has confirmed the brain functional disturbances in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), the dynamic characteristics of brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) in TAO were rarely concerned. The present study aims to investigate the alterations of temporal variability of brain activity and FC in TAO using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Forty-seven TAO patients and 30 age-, gender-, education-, and handedness-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled and underwent rs-fMRI scanning. The dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was first calculated using a sliding window approach to characterize the temporal variability of brain activity. Based on the dALFF results, seed-based dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analysis was performed to identify the temporal variability of efficient communication between brain regions in TAO. Additionally, correlations between dALFF and dFC and the clinical indicators were analyzed. Compared with HCs, TAO patients displayed decreased dALFF in the left superior occipital gyrus (SOG) and cuneus (CUN), while showing increased dALFF in the left triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang), insula (INS), orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus (ORBinf), superior temporal gyrus (STG) and temporal pole of superior temporal gyrus (TPOsup). Furthermore, TAO patients exhibited decreased dFC between the left STG and the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG), as well as decreased dFC between the left TPOsup and the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL) and MOG. Correlation analyses showed that the altered dALFF in the left SOG/CUN was positively related to visual acuity (r = .409, p = .004), as well as the score of QoL for visual functioning (r = .375, p = .009). TAO patients developed abnormal temporal variability of brain activity in areas related to vision, emotion, and cognition, as well as reduced temporal variability of FC associated with vision deficits. These findings provided additional insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen‐Hao Jiang
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jiang Zhou
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xiong‐Ying Pu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Huan‐Huan Chen
- Department of EndocrinologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xiao‐Quan Xu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Fei‐Yun Wu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
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Liu P, Luo B, Feng Y, Chen L, Zhao YL, Wang QX, Liang SP, Wu HY, Yuan G, Jiang GH, Zhang J. Aberrant spontaneous brain activity in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy with and without optic neuropathy: a resting-state functional MRI study. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:7981-7991. [PMID: 37410107 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09829-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the brain functional alterations in dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) by evaluating spontaneous neural activity, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with regional homogeneity (ReHo), and its relationship with ophthalmologic performance. METHODS Forty-seven patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO; 20 with DON, 27 with non-DON) and 33 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent fMRI. ReHo values were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc pairwise comparisons (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). Correlations between ReHo values and ophthalmological metrics were assessed for DONs, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (p < 0.004). ROC curves were applied to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ReHo metrics. RESULTS ReHo values were significantly lower in the left insula and right superior temporal gyrus, and higher in the left posterior cingulate cortex (LPCC), of DON than of non-DON patients. ReHo values were also significantly lower in the right middle temporal, left insula, and left precentral gyrus in DON than in HCs. Meanwhile, ReHo values were higher in LPCC in non-DON than in HCs. ReHo values correlated with ophthalmic examinations to varying degrees in DON. For distinguishing DON, the ReHo values in LPCC showed optimal individually (AUC = 0.843), the combination of the ReHo in both the left insula and LPCC performed better (AUC = 0.915). CONCLUSION Spontaneous brain activity differed between TAO with and without DON, which may reflect the underlying pathological mechanism of DON. The ReHo index can be considered a diagnostic biomarker. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT Spontaneous brain activity in DON differed from that in TAO without DON, which may reflect the underlying pathological mechanism of DON. The ReHo index can be considered a diagnostic biomarker for early detection of DON. KEY POINTS • Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) affects brain activity, which contributes in the understanding of its visual dysfunction. • Regional homogeneity values differ between thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy with and without DON in various brain regions. • Regional homogeneity values can be used as a biomarker in the differential diagnosis of DON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ban Luo
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Li Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiu-Xia Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Si-Pei Liang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Yu Wu
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Yuan
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Gui-Hua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, #1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Jiang M, Zhang H, Liu Y, Wu S, Qu J, Tang Y, Song Y, Li Y, Sun J, Zhu L, Zhou H, Tao X. Abnormal regional spontaneous neural activity and functional connectivity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients with different activity: a resting-state fMRI study. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1199251. [PMID: 37475733 PMCID: PMC10354644 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1199251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose We aimed to evaluate the spontaneous neuronal activity and functional connectivity pattern variations using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) measures, such as amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and functional connectivity (FC), in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Method A total of 24 active TAO patients, 26 inactive TAO patients, and 27 matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. First, ALFF and fALFF were used to detect local neural activity changes, the MRI data were analyzed, and regions with group differences were taken as seeds. Second, FC analysis was performed to explore the altered connection between seeds and other brain regions. A correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between functional brain activity and clinical indices and neuropsychiatric behaviors. Results Compared to HCs, both active and inactive TAO patients exhibited significantly lower ALFF values in the right calcarine (Calcarine_R) and left postcentral gyrus (Postcentral_L). Active TAO patients also showed significantly higher ALFF values in the left caudate nucleus (Caudate_L) and increased fALFF values in the superior lobe of the right cerebellum (Cerebelum_Crus1_R). Moreover, both active and inactive TAO patients demonstrated decreased FC within the left postcentral gyrus (Postcentral_L) compared to HCs. Additionally, active TAO patients exhibited lower FC compared to inactive TAO patients. The ALFF values in the Calcarine_R of active TAO patients positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.5892, p = 0.0049) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS; r = 0.5377, p = 0.0119). Furthermore, the ALFF value in the Calcarine_R of inactive TAO patients negatively correlated with visual functioning (r = -0.5449, p = 0.0072), while the ALFF values in the Caudate_L of active TAO patients positively correlated with visual functioning (r = 0.6496, p = 0.0014). Conclusion We found that the Caudate_L and Cerebelum_Crus1_R related to motor control and coordination in active TAO patients exhibit significant compensatory mechanisms; whereas, the Calcarine_R and Postcentral_L related to visual and somatosensory cortices show varying degrees of impairment. Our findings complement the functional neural mechanism of TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengda Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuting Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jialu Qu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Song
- Department of MR Scientific Marketing, Siemens Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinwei Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huifang Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofeng Tao
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Wen Z, Kang Y, Zhang Y, Yang H, Zhao Y, Huang X, Xie B. Disrupted dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in patients with active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1174688. [PMID: 37250893 PMCID: PMC10213541 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1174688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an autoimmune disease that affects the orbit and is the most prevalent extra-thyroidal complication of Graves' disease. Previous neuroimaging studies have focused on abnormal static regional activity and functional connectivity in patients with TAO. However, the characteristics of local brain activity over time are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate alterations in the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) in patients with active TAO and to distinguish patients with TAO from healthy controls (HCs) using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Methods: A total of 21 patients with TAO and 21 HCs underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. dALFFs were calculated in conjunction with sliding window approaches to assess dynamic regional brain activity and to compare the groups. Then, we used SVM, a machine learning algorithm, to determine whether dALFF maps may be used as diagnostic indicators for TAO. Results: Compared with HCs, patients with active TAO showed decreased dALFF in the right calcarine, lingual gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and precuneus. The SVM model showed an accuracy of 45.24%-47.62% and area under the curve of 0.35-0.44 in distinguishing TAO from HCs. No correlation was found between clinical variables and regional dALFF. Conclusion: Patients with active TAO showed altered dALFF in the visual cortex and the ventral and dorsal visual pathways, providing further details on the pathogenesis of TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wen
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huaguang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Baojun Xie
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Chen W, Hu H, Chen HH, Liu H, Wu Q, Chen L, Zhou J, Jiang WH, Xu XQ, Wu FY. Altered neurovascular coupling in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: A combined resting-state fMRI and arterial spin labeling study. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:34-47. [PMID: 36134557 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Besides the well-documented ophthalmic manifestations, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is believed to be related to emotional and psychological abnormalities. Given the previous neuroimaging evidence, we hypothesized that TAO patients would have altered neurovascular coupling associated with clinical-psychiatric disturbances. This study was to investigate neurovascular coupling changes in TAO by combining resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) techniques. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was calculated from rs-fMRI, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) was computed from ASL in 37 TAO patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs). Global neurovascular coupling was assessed by across-voxel CBF-ALFF correlation, and regional neurovascular coupling was evaluated by CBF/ALFF ratio. Auxiliary analyses were performed using fractional ALFF (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) as rs-fMRI measures. Compared with HCs, TAO patients showed significantly reduced global CBF-ALFF coupling. Moreover, TAO patients exhibited decreased CBF/ALFF ratio in the left lingual gyrus (LG)/fusiform gyrus (FFG), and increased CBF/ALFF ratio in the bilateral precuneus (PCu). In TAOs, CBF/ALFF ratio in the left LG/FFG was positively correlated with visual acuity, while CBF/ALFF ratio in the bilateral PCu was negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment score. The auxiliary analyses showed trends of reduced global neurovascular coupling (i.e., CBF-fALFF correlation and CBF-ReHo correlation), as well as significant altered regional neurovascular coupling (i.e., CBF/fALFF ratio and CBF/ReHo ratio) in several brain regions. These findings indicated that TAO patients had altered neurovascular coupling in the visual and higher-order cognitive cortices. The neurovascular decoupling might be a possible neuropathological mechanism of TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huan-Huan Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hu Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen-Hao Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Quan Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei-Yun Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Qi CX, Wen Z, Huang X. Reduction of Interhemispheric Homotopic Connectivity in Cognitive and Visual Information Processing Pathways in Patients With Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:882114. [PMID: 35865354 PMCID: PMC9295451 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.882114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a vision threatening autoimmune and inflammatory orbital disease, and has been reported to be associated with a wide range of structural and functional abnormalities of bilateral hemispheres. However, whether the interhemisphere functional connectivity (FC) of TAO patients is altered still remain unclear. A new technique called voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) combined with support vector machine (SVM) method was used in the present study to explore interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity alterations in patients with TAO. Methods A total of 21 TAO patients (14 males and 7 females) and 21 wellmatched healthy controls (HCs, 14 males and 7 females), respectively, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning in the resting state. We evaluated alterations in the resting state functional connectivity between hemispheres by applying VMHC method and then selected these abnormal brain regions as seed areas for subsequent study using FC method. Furthermore, the observed changes of regions in the VMHC analysis were chosen as classification features to differentiate patients with TAO from HCs through support vector machine (SVM) method. Results The results showed that compared with HCs, TAO patients showed significantly lower VMHC values in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, lingual gyrus, calcarine, middle temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and angular. Moreover, significantly decreased FC values were found between the right postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and left lingual gyrus/cuneus/superior occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and right lingual gyrus/ middle temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus and left cerebellum-8/lingual gyrus/middle occipital gyrus/supplementary motor area, left middle temporal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus/angular and left middle temporal pole (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). The SVM classification model achieved good performance in differentiating TAO patients from HCs (total accuracy: 73.81%; area under the curve: 0.79). Conclusion The present study revealed that the altered interhemisphere interaction and integration of information involved in cognitive and visual information processing pathways including the postcentral gyrus, cuneus, cerebellum, angular, widespread visual cortex and temporal cortex in patients with TAO relative to HC group. VMHC variability had potential value for accurately and specifically distinguishing patients with TAO from HCs. The new findings may provide novel insights into the neurological mechanisms underlying visual and cognitive disorders in patients with TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Xing Qi
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhi Wen
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Huang
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Jiang WH, Chen HH, Chen W, Wu Q, Chen L, Zhou J, Xu XQ, Hu H, Wu FY. Altered Long- and Short-Range Functional Connectivity Density in Patients With Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy: A Resting-State fMRI Study. Front Neurol 2022; 13:902912. [PMID: 35812093 PMCID: PMC9259934 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.902912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose Although previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated emotion- and psychology-associated brain abnormalities in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), the changes of brain functional connectivity in TAO were seldom focused. We aimed to investigate interregional and intraregional functional interactions in patients with TAO by using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) with long- and short-range functional connectivity density (FCD) analysis. Methods Thirty patients with TAO and 30 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in our study. Long- and short-range FCD values were calculated and compared between the two groups. Correlations between long- and short-range FCD values and clinical indicators were analyzed. Results Compared with HCs, patients with showed both increased long- and short-range FCDs in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), orbital part of superior frontal gyrus (ORBsup), and dorsolateral part of superior frontal gyrus (SFGdor); meanwhile, both decreased long- and short-range FCDs in bilateral postcentral gyrus (PoCG), left superior parietal gyrus (SPG), and inferior parietal (IPL). In addition, patients with TAO showed increased short-range FCD in the right SFGdor, bilateral medial part of superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed), left orbital part of middle frontal gyrus (ORBmid), and orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus (ORBinf), as well as decreased short-range FCD in the right supplementary motor area (SMA) and the left paracentral lobule (PCL) than HCs. Moreover, the short-range value in the left SFGdor showed a negative correlation with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score (r = −0.501, p = 0.005). Conclusion Our findings complemented the functional neural mechanism of TAO, and provided potential neuroimaging markers for assessing the psychiatric, visual, and emotional disturbances in patients with TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huan-Huan Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Quan Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Hao Hu
| | - Fei-Yun Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Fei-Yun Wu
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Liang Y, Pan YC, Shu HY, Chou XM, Ge QM, Zhang LJ, Li QY, Liang RB, Li HL, Shao Y. Characteristics of the Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation in Ocular Hypertension Patients: A Resting-State fMRI Study. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:687420. [PMID: 35479659 PMCID: PMC9037746 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.687420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method has been underutilized in research on the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of ocular hypertension (OH). Purpose This study uses resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and fALFF to investigate the nature of spontaneous brain activity in OH patients and the relationship, if any, between changes in activity and clinical features. Materials and Methods A total of 18 subjects (9 females and 9 males) with ocular hypertension (OH) and 18 healthy controls (HCs) matched for gender, age, and educational level were recruited to this study. All participants underwent an rs-fMRI scan, and spontaneous brain activity was assessed using the fALFF method. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to investigate differences between OH and HC groups. Results The fALFF values of OH patients were significantly higher in the left precuneus lobe (LP), compared with the same region in controls (P < 0.05). Conversely, values in the left anterior cingulate lobe (LAC), were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in OH than in controls. However, no significant association was found between the mean fALFF values and clinical characteristics in either brain area. Conclusion High spontaneous activity in two brain areas may reflect neuropathological mechanisms underpinning visual impairment in OH patients.
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Wen Z, Wan X, Qi CX, Huang X. Local-to-Remote Brain Functional Connectivity in Patients with Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy and Assessment of Its Predictive Value Using Machine Learning. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:4273-4283. [PMID: 35480997 PMCID: PMC9037891 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s353649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To explore the alterations in both local and remote brain connectivity in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to investigate whether the alterations of local neural function could be used to distinguish patients with TAO from healthy controls (HCs) using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Materials and Methods In total, 21 patients with TAO and 21 well-matched HCs were enrolled in our study and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. We employed regional homogeneity (ReHo) algorithm to evaluate local neural function and selected significantly altered brain regions as seed areas for subsequent study of the remote functional connectivity (FC). Moreover, we chose the observed alterations in the ReHo analysis as classification features to differentiate patients with TAO from HCs through SVM classification method. Results Compared with the HCs, TAO patients showed significantly lower ReHo values in the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG) and right angular (ANG). In contrast, TAO patients displayed higher ReHo values in the left hippocampus (Hipp). We further found TAO patients exhibited decreased FC between the left and right Hipp, right MOG and left cerebellum (CER), right ANG and left rectus, right superior temporal pole gyrus (PSTG) (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). The alterations in local neural function exhibited an accuracy of 78.57% and area under curve of 0.81 for distinguishing the patients from HCs. Conclusion We mainly found the results that patients with TAO showed significantly dysfunctional local and remote brain functional connectivity in several brain regions associated with visual and cognitive functions. The ReHo variability has potential value in differentiating patients with TAO from HCs. These findings may provide novel insights into the neurological mechanisms underlying visual and cognitive disorders in patients with TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Wan
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chen-Xing Qi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Chen-Xing Qi; Xin Huang, Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 152, Ai Guo Road, Dong Hu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China, Email ;
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
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Ding J, Qu X, Cui J, Dong J, Guo J, Xian J, Li D. Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity and Network Property in Patients With Congenital Monocular Blindness. Front Neurol 2022; 13:789655. [PMID: 35280267 PMCID: PMC8907119 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.789655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with congenital monocular blindness may have specific brain changes since the brain is prenatally deprived of half the normal visual input. To explore characteristic brain functional changes of congenital monocular blindness, we analyzed resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data of 16 patients with unilateral congenital microphthalmia and 16 healthy subjects with normal vision to compare intergroup differences of amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFFs), functional connectivity (FC), and network topolgoical properties. Compared with controls, patients with microphthalmia exhibited significantly lower ALFF values in the left inferior occipital and temporal gyri, superior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobe and post-central gyrus, whereas higher ALFF in the right middle and inferior temporal gyri, middle and superior frontal gyri, left superior frontal, and temporal gyri, such as angular gyrus. Meanwhile, FC between left medial superior frontal gyrus and angular gyrus, FC between left superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe and post-central gyrus decreased in the patients with congenital microphthalmia. In addition, a graph theory-analysis revealed increased regional network metrics (degree centrality and nodal efficiency) in the middle and inferior temporal gyri and middle and superior frontal gyri, while decreased values in the inferior occipital and temporal gyri, inferior parietal lobule, post-central gyrus, and angular gyrus. Taken together, patients with congenital microphthalmia had widespread abnormal activities within neural networks involving the vision and language and language-related regions played dominant roles in their brain networks. These findings may provide clues for functional reorganization of vision and language networks induced by the congenital monocular blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Ding
- Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Qu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Cui
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Guo
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Junfang Xian
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Junfang Xian
| | - Dongmei Li
- Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Dongmei Li
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Zhu P, Liu Z, Lu Y, Wang Y, Zhang D, Zhao P, Lin L, Hussein NM, Liu X, Yan Z, Bai G, Tu Y. Alterations in Spontaneous Neuronal Activity and Microvascular Density of the Optic Nerve Head in Active Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:895186. [PMID: 35937801 PMCID: PMC9354054 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.895186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate changes in local spontaneous brain activity in patients with active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and explore the relationship between such alterations and microvascular indices. METHODS Thirty-six active TAO patients with active phase and 39 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), neuropsychological tests, and ophthalmological examinations. The rs-fMRI-based fractional low-frequency fluctuation amplitude (fALFF) analysis methods were used to assess spontaneous brain activity in both groups. The structure (peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer, pRNFL) and microvascular indices (the optic nerve head (ONH) whole image vessel density, ONH-wiVD, and peripapillary vessel density) were analyzed through optical coherence tomographic angiography imaging. The relationship between abnormal spontaneous brain activity and ophthalmological indices was analyzed using the Spearman's rank correlation analysis. RESULTS Compared with HCs, active TAO patients had increased fALFF in the right inferior temporal gyrus (R.ITG) and left posterior cingulate gyrus (L.PCC), but decreased fALFF in the right calcarine (R.CAL). The fALFF values in L.PCC were positively correlated with peripapillary vessel density, whereas fALFF values in R.CAL were negatively related to peripapillary vessel density. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that changes in spontaneous brain activity of active TAO are accompanied by peripapillary microvascular variations. These results provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of active TAO. In addition, the combination of fALFF values and peripapillary vessel density may be served as important references for better clinical decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingyi Zhu
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zihui Liu
- Department of Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery, The Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Danbin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pinghui Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lulu Lin
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Nimo Mohamed Hussein
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- China-USA Neuroimaging Research Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhihan Yan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Guanghui Bai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Basic Science and Translational Research of Radiation Oncology, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Guanghui Bai, ; Yunhai Tu,
| | - Yunhai Tu
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Orbital and Oculoplastic Surgery, The Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Guanghui Bai, ; Yunhai Tu,
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