Altered functional connectivity of primary visual cortex in adult comitant strabismus using resting‐functional mri

Abstract

AbstractPurpose Strabismus is not only associated with an abnormal eye position, but also with abnormal eye movement and poor stereopsis, both of which may be associated with high brain function. The aim of this study was to examine the functional connectivity between primary visual cortex and other cortical areas during rest in normal subjects and patients with comitant strabismus using functional magnetic resonance imaging.Methods Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was carried out on ten patients with comitant exotropia and eleven well‐matched healthy subjects while all were in a resting state. The primary visual cortex was selected as the region of interest and the resting‐state functional connectivities of this area were analyzed.Results Compared with normal controls, strabismic patients showed that left BA17 had decreased functional connectivity with the right parietal lobe, left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus and right cerebellum, while the functional connectivity of the right BA17 was decreased at the middle frontal gyri bilaterally and the left inferior frontal gyrus. Enhanced connectivity of right BA17 to the bilateral middle occipital gyrus was also identified.Conclusion These data suggest that functional dysconnectivity between primary visual cortex and other cortical areas may exist in patients with comitant strabismus, and the abnormal connectivity may be associated with abnormal eye movement and loss of stereopsis.