Gray matter volume alterations in patients with strabismus and amblyopia: voxel-based morphometry study

Biao Li,Nan Jiang,Pei-Wen Zhu,Ting Su,Chong-Gang Pei,Qing Yuan,Yi Shao,Qi Lin,Wen-Qing Shi

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04184-w

Abstract

This study proposes the use of the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique to investigate structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with strabismus and amblyopia (SA). Sixteen patients with SA and sixteen healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Original whole brain images were analyzed using the VBM method. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between mean gray matter volume (GMV) and clinical manifestations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to classify the mean GMV values of the SA group and HCs. Compared with the HCs, GMV values in the SA group showed a significant difference in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and left anterior cingulate cortex. The mean GMV value in the right superior temporal gyrus, posterior and anterior lobes of the cerebellum, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus were negatively correlated with the angle of strabismus. The ROC curve analysis of each cerebral region confirmed the accuracy of the area under the curve. Patients with SA have reduced GMV values in some brain regions. These findings might help to reveal the potential pathogenesis of SA and its relationship with the atrophy of specific regions of the brain.

Highlights

This study proposes the use of the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique to investigate structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with strabismus and amblyopia (SA)
Some investigators have used various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analytical techniques to detect intrinsic activation of brain regions in amblyopic and strabismic patients, such as amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), degree centrality (DC), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) These techniques facilitate the investigation of spontaneous activities of the brain and reveal the underlying mechanisms occurring in the diseased eye[7,8,9]
No statistical differences were noted in age (p = 0.626) or best-corrected visual acuity (VA) of the fellow eye (p = 0.847) between subjects with SA and healthy controls (HCs)

Summary

Introduction

This study proposes the use of the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique to investigate structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with strabismus and amblyopia (SA). We used the ALFF method to explore alterations in cerebral activity in participants with strabismus and amblyopia (SA)[10]. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a broadly applied technique used to analyze cerebral alterations at the voxel level, which can reveal the anatomical changes in whole brain tissue by quantitatively evaluating the density, volume, and distribution of gray matter and white matter across several cerebral regions[11]. The present study aims to use the VBM method to explore differences in gray matter and white matter between patients with SA and healthy controls (HCs), and to investigate their relationship with clinical features

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Discussion

Conclusion