Altered Intra- and Inter-Network Functional Connectivity in Patients With Crohn's Disease: An Independent Component Analysis-Based Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Lu Li,Yage Qiu,Zhen Zhu,Yan Zhou,Jianguang Xu,Xuyun Hua,Yanling Zheng,Jie Ma,Zonghui Liang,Qian Xie

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.855470

Abstract

BackgroundMany studies have reported changes in the structure and function of several brain areas in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). However, little is known about whether the possible functional connectivity of resting-state networks (RSNs) is altered in CD patients.PurposeAim to investigate the intra- and inter-network alterations between related RSNs in patients with CD and the potential relationships between altered neuroimaging and CD clinical indices.Materials and MethodsIn this study, 20 CD patients and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. We used independent component analysis (ICA) to explore the changes in RSNs and evaluated functional connectivity between different RSNs using functional network connectivity (FNC) analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed between altered intra- and inter-network functional connectivity and CD clinical index.ResultsSix CD-related RSNs were identified via ICA, namely the high visual, prime visual, language, dorsal default mode, posterior insula, and precuneus networks. Compared to healthy controls, patients with CD showed significant changes in prime visual and language networks. Additionally, the functional connectivity (FC) values of the left calcarine within the prime visual network were negatively correlated with CD duration. The inter-alterations showed that a significantly increased FNC existed between the language and dorsal default mode networks.ConclusionThe results showed CD-related changes in brain functional networks. This evidence provides more insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of brain plasticity in CD.

Highlights

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with an unclear pathogenesis that can affect the entire digestive tract
Further analysis was performed based on these resting-state networks (RSNs) (Figure 1)
Our research suggests that the connectivity within RSNs in the CD group and functional connections between RSNs changed

Summary

Introduction

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with an unclear pathogenesis that can affect the entire digestive tract. There is evidence that white matter lesions and neurological deficits in IBD patients may be an additional extraintestinal manifestation of the disease (Geissler et al, 1995). Patients with IBD often experience mood disorders, overreaction to stress, and imbalance of intestinal flora (Bonaz and Bernstein, 2013) and often endure mental symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Brain-gut interaction refers to the physiological or pathophysiological phenomenon in which the central nervous system and the intestine interact and control each other (Gracie et al, 2018), maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis, and affecting higher cognitive functions through neural pathways, cellular and humoral mediators (De Palma et al, 2014; Carabotti et al, 2015). Many studies have reported changes in the structure and function of several brain areas in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Purpose: Aim to investigate the intra- and inter-network alterations between related RSNs in patients with CD and the potential relationships between altered neuroimaging and CD clinical indices

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