Abnormal Brain Functional Connectivity Strength in the Overactive Bladder Syndrome: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Background: The compensatory effect of brain functional connectivity enhancement in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) remains controversial. Objective: To characterize the relationships between brain functional connectivity changes and disability progression in RRMS. Methods: Long-range connectivity, short-range connectivity, and density of connections were assessed using graph theoretical analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired in 38 RRMS patients (disease duration: 120 ± 32 months) and 24 controls. All subjects were explored at baseline and all patients and six controls 2 years later. Results: At baseline, levels of long-range and short-range brain functional connectivity were higher in patients compared to controls. During the follow-up, decrease in connections’ density was inversely correlated with disability progression. Post-hoc analysis evidenced differential evolution of brain functional connectivity metrics in patients according to their level of disability at baseline: while patients with lowest disability at baseline experienced an increase in all connectivity metrics during the follow-up, patients with higher disability at baseline showed a decrease in the connectivity metrics. In these patients, decrease in the connectivity metrics was associated with disability progression. Conclusion: The study provides two main findings: (1) brain functional connectivity enhancement decreases during the disease course after reaching a maximal level, and (2) decrease in brain functional connectivity enhancement participates in disability progression.

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The Effects of Music Intervention on Functional Connectivity Strength of the Brain in Schizophrenia

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2018/2821832 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mi Yang ◽

Hui He ◽

Mingjun Duan ◽

Xi Chen ◽

Xin Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Music Intervention ◽

Functional Connection ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Functional Connectivity Strength ◽

The Right ◽

Connectivity Strength

Schizophrenia is often associated with behavior abnormality in the cognitive and affective domain. Music intervention is used as a complementary treatment for improving symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. However, the neurophysiological correlates of these remissions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of music intervention in neural circuits through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in schizophrenic subjects. Under the standard care, patients were randomly assigned to music and non-music interventions (MTSZ, UMTSZ) for 1 month. Resting-state fMRI were acquired over three time points (baseline, 1 month, and 6 months later) in patients and analyzed using functional connectivity strength (FCS) and seed-based functional connection (FC) approaches. At baseline, compared with healthy controls, decreased FCS in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was observed in patients. However, after music intervention, the functional circuitry of the right MTG, which was related with the function of emotion and sensorimotor, was improved in MTSZ. Furthermore, the FC increments were significantly correlated with the improvement of symptoms, while vanishing 6 months later. Together, these findings provided evidence that music intervention might positively modulate the functional connectivity of MTG in patients with schizophrenia; such changes might be associated with the observed therapeutic effects of music intervention on neurocognitive function. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-OPC-14005339.

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