Brain Functional Network Analysis of Patients with Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Objectives. Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have focused on glaucoma-related neuronal degeneration in structural and spontaneous functional brain activity. However, there are limited studies regarding the differences in the topological organization of the functional brain network in patients with glaucoma. In this study, we aimed to assess both potential alterations and the network efficiency in the functional brain networks of patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods. We applied resting-state fMRI data to construct the functional connectivity network of 33 patients with PACG ( 54.21 ± 7.21 years ) and 33 gender- and age-matched healthy controls ( 52.42 ± 7.80 years ). The differences in the global and regional topological brain network properties between the two groups were assessed using graph theoretical analysis. Partial correlations between the altered regional values and clinical parameters were computed for patients with PACG. Results. No significant differences in global topological measures were identified between the two groups. However, significant regional alterations were identified in the patients with PACG, including differences within visual and nonvisual (somatomotor and cognition-emotion) regions. The normalized clustering coefficient and normalized local efficiency of the right superior parietal gyrus were significantly correlated with the retinal fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and the vertical cup to disk ratio (V C/D). In addition, the normalized node betweenness of the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital portion) was significantly correlated with the V C/D in the patients with PACG. Conclusions. Our results suggest that regional inefficiency with decrease and compensatory increase in local functional properties of visual and nonvisual nodes preserved the brain network of the PACG at the global level.