White matter fiber integrity and structural brain network topology: implications for balance function in postischemic stroke patients

Author:

Li Ling-Ling123ORCID,Wu Jia-Jia12ORCID,Ma Jie12ORCID,Li Yu-Lin12ORCID,Xue Xin12ORCID,Li Kun-Peng3ORCID,Jin Jing3,Hua Xu-Yun42ORCID,Zheng Mou-Xiong42ORCID,Xu Jian-Guang35ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, , Shanghai 200437 , China

2. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, , Shanghai 200437 , China

3. School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai 201203 , China

4. Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics , Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, , Shanghai 200437 , China

5. Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education , Shanghai 201203 , China

Abstract

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that ischemic stroke can result in white matter fiber injury and modifications in the structural brain network. However, the relationship with balance function scores remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, this study aims to explore the alterations in the microstructural properties of brain white matter and the topological characteristics of the structural brain network in postischemic stroke patients and their potential correlations with balance function. We enrolled 21 postischemic stroke patients and 21 age, sex, and education-matched healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent balance function assessment and brain diffusion tensor imaging. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were used to compare the fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity of white matter fibers between the two groups. The white matter structural brain network was constructed based on the automated anatomical labeling atlas, and we conducted a graph theory-based analysis of its topological properties, including global network properties and local node properties. Additionally, the correlation between the significant structural differences and balance function score was analyzed. The TBSS results showed that in comparison to the HC, postischemic stroke patients exhibited extensive damage to their whole-brain white matter fiber tracts (P < 0.05). Graph theory analysis showed that in comparison to the HC, postischemic stroke patients exhibited statistically significant reductions in the values of global efficiency, local efficiency, and clustering coefficient, as well as an increase in characteristic path length (P < 0.05). In addition, the degree centrality and nodal efficiency of some nodes in postischemic stroke patients were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The white matter fibers of the entire brain in postischemic stroke patients are extensively damaged, and the topological properties of the structural brain network are altered, which are closely related to balance function. This study is helpful in further understanding the neural mechanism of balance function after ischemic stroke from the white matter fiber and structural brain network topological properties.

Funder

National Key Research and Development Program of China

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Shanghai Health Care Commission

Shanghai Science and Technology Committee

Shanghai Rising-Star Program

Shanghai Youth Top Talent Development Plan, Shanghai “Rising Stars of Medical Talent”—Distinguished Young Medical Talent Program

Shanghai Talent Development Fund

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience,Cognitive Neuroscience

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