OBJECTIVETo evaluate the alternations of degree centrality (DC) in the brain of a patient with alternating Horner's syndrome (AHS).

METHODSConventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 3D structure reconstruction and resting-state functional MRI were performed in a patient with AHS and 8 healthy adults. The DC of brain functional connectivity was calculated and statistically analyzed to evaluate the changes in the nodes in the brain default network of the patient.

RESULTSIn the AHS patient, the DC at onset of left eye involvement was located mainly in the bilateral anterior middle frontal gyri, frontal operculum and opercula insulae; the brain regions with a DC greater than the mean DC of the whole brain were found mainly in the bilateral occipital lobes, temporal lobes and cingulate gyri, and the brain regions with a significantly decreased DC included mainly the left inferior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, lateral occipital gyri and bilateral paracentral lobules (P<0.05). At the onset of right eye involvement, the DC was mainly located in the anterior part of the bilateral superior and middle frontal gyri, parietal lobes, middle cingulate gyri and medial occipital gyri; the brain regions with a DC greater than the mean DC of the whole brain included the bilateral occipital lobers, temporal lobes, cingulate, orbital gyri and gyrus rectus, and the brain regions with a significantly decreased DC included the left supramarginal gyrus, right lateral occipital gyrus, paracentral lobule and bilateral superior temporal gyrus.

CONCLUSIONThe AHS patient exhibited a decreased DC of functional connectivity in multiple brain regions.