Change of Brain Functional Connectivity in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury: Graph Theory Based Approach.
10.5535/arm.2015.39.3.374
- Author:
Yu Sun MIN
1
;
Yongmin CHANG
;
Jang Woo PARK
;
Jong Min LEE
;
Jungho CHA
;
Jin Ju YANG
;
Chul Hyun KIM
;
Jong Moon HWANG
;
Ji Na YOO
;
Tae Du JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea. teeed0522@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Spinal cord injuries;
Magnetic resonance imaging;
Neuronal plasticity
- MeSH:
Automatic Data Processing;
Brain*;
Female;
Humans;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Male;
Neuronal Plasticity;
Spinal Cord Injuries*
- From:Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
2015;39(3):374-383
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the global functional reorganization of the brain following spinal cord injury with graph theory based approach by creating whole brain functional connectivity networks from resting state-functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), characterizing the reorganization of these networks using graph theoretical metrics and to compare these metrics between patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and age-matched controls. METHODS: Twenty patients with incomplete cervical SCI (14 males, 6 females; age, 55+/-14.1 years) and 20 healthy subjects (10 males, 10 females; age, 52.9+/-13.6 years) participated in this study. To analyze the characteristics of the whole brain network constructed with functional connectivity using rs-fMRI, graph theoretical measures were calculated including clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, global efficiency and small-worldness. RESULTS: Clustering coefficient, global efficiency and small-worldness did not show any difference between controls and SCIs in all density ranges. The normalized characteristic path length to random network was higher in SCI patients than in controls and reached statistical significance at 12%-13% of density (p<0.05, uncorrected). CONCLUSION: The graph theoretical approach in brain functional connectivity might be helpful to reveal the information processing after SCI. These findings imply that patients with SCI can build on preserved competent brain control. Further analyses, such as topological rearrangement and hub region identification, will be needed for better understanding of neuroplasticity in patients with SCI.
