Altered baseline activity and connectivity associated with cognitive impairment following acute cerebellar infarction: A resting-state fMRI study

Abstract

The aims of this study were to investigated the changes of brain function and cognitive function in patients with acute posterior cerebellar infarction using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tecniques: fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC). Forty acute cerebellar infarction patients and 40 healthy controls were included. The differences of fALFF were compared. The regions showed significant differences were set as regions of interest (ROIs), and then the FC values between ROIs and the whole brain were analysed. Pearson correlation analysis was used to understand the correlation between FC values and cognitive function scores. The results showed significant group differences in fALFF values in the four brain regions, including the right frontal lobe, left hippocampus, right cingulate gyrus and cerebellum posterior lobe. Pearson correlation analysis suggested that abnormal alterations in the left hippocampus and right cingulate gyrus may play a core role in the cognitive impairment associated with cerebellar infarction. The changes of fALFF and FC values in related brain area from cerebellar stroke complement and enrich our understanding of cerebellar involvement in cognition involved in cognitive performance.