Abstract
Objectives Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have focused on glaucoma-related neuronal degeneration in structural and spontaneous functional brain activity. However, there are limited studies regarding the differences in the topological organization of the functional brain network in patients with glaucoma. In this study, we aimed to assess both potential alterations and the network efficiency in the functional brain networks of patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods We applied resting-state fMRI data to construct the functional connectivity network of 33 patients with PACG (54.21 ± 7.21 years) and 33 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (52.42 ± 7.80 years). The differences in the global and regional topological brain network properties between the two groups were assessed using graph theoretical analysis. Partial correlations between the altered regional values and clinical parameters were computed for patients with PACG. Results No significant differences in global topological measures were identified between the two groups. However, significant regional alterations were identified in the patients with PACG, including differences within visual and nonvisual (somatomotor and cognition-emotion) regions. The normalized clustering coefficient and normalized local efficiency of the right superior parietal gyrus were significantly correlated with the retinal fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and the vertical cup to disk ratio (V C/D). In addition, the normalized node betweenness of the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital portion) was significantly correlated with the V C/D in the patients with PACG. Conclusions Our results suggest that regional inefficiency with decrease and compensatory increase in local functional properties of visual and nonvisual nodes preserved the brain network of the PACG at the global level.
Highlights
Glaucoma is an age-related, blindness-causing disease characterized by the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in association with increased intraocular pressure (IOP)
Recent pathological data have demonstrated that neurodegenerative processes in the central nervous system of patients with glaucoma, such as apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production, were similar to the processes identified in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [4, 5], which suggests that glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease
The present study investigated the topological properties of the functional brain networks of patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) at both global and regional levels
Summary
Glaucoma is an age-related, blindness-causing disease characterized by the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in association with increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Glaucoma may be classified into primary openangle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) according to the anatomy of the anterior chamber angle [1]. In China, PACG is still the most common type of glaucoma [2, 3]. Recent pathological data have demonstrated that neurodegenerative processes in the central nervous system of patients with glaucoma, such as apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production, were similar to the processes identified in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [4, 5], which suggests that glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease. Potential alterations in the central nervous system of patients with PACG should receive greater emphasis.
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