Spontaneous changes in brain network centrality in patients with pathological myopia: A voxel‐wise degree centrality analysis

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundMyopia has become a worldwide problem that endangers public health and adds a serious socioeconomic burden. Current research has focused on the pathogenesis and manifestations of pathological myopia (PM). However, few studies have been conducted on the spontaneous activity of the patient's brain.PurposeTo study the potential brain network activity in patients with PM by the degree centrality (DC) method.Materials and MethodsThis experiment included 15 PM patients and 15 healthy controls (HCs). Every participant experienced a resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) scan. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to distinguish between PM patients and HCs. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between mean DC values and clinical performance in different brain regions.ResultsIt showed that patients with PM had lower DC values in the right fusiform gyrus (FR) and right cingulate (CAR). The ROC curve was used to indicate the accuracy of the correlation. It showed that in PM group, left best corrected visual acuity (BCVA‐L) and right best corrected visual acuity (BCVA‐R) were negatively correlated with the DC value of FR.ConclusionThe occurrence of PM is mainly related to the abnormal activity of the fusiform and cingulum. DC value might be used as a biological marker of abnormal brain activity in PM patients.