Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the pathogenesis of hemifacial spasm

Abstract

Objective To explore the changes of brain function activity under the resting state in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). Methods Thirty patients with HFS (HFS group) and 33 healthy controls (HC group) admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine performed blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) examination from July 2013 to December 2013. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) method was used to analyze the differences of spontaneous brain activity between the two groups. Results There were no significant differences in age, gender and years of education between the 2 groups. They had comparability. Compared with the HC group, the brain regions of the HFS group included the increased ReHo values of pons, posterior lobe of cerebellum and precentral motor area (adjusted AlphaSim, P<0.01). The largest difference voxel was in the precentral motor area, followed by posterior lobe of cerebellum, and the smallest difference voxel was pons, but the increased ReHo value of the latter was most significant (t=3.83); the ReHo values of the supplementary motor area, superior temporal gyrus, precuneus, middle frontal gyrus, and cingulate gyrus of the HFS group decreased (adjusted AlphaSim, P<0.01). The largest difference voxel and ReHo value was cingulate gyrus. (t=-3.69). Conclusion Under the resting state, brains involve in the activation of the cortices of facial muscle movement and the excitability of gray matter nuclei increase in patients with HFS, and the cortices involving in the inhibition of facial muscle movement have function weakening, these changes may involve in the pathological progress of HFS. Key words: Hemifacial spasm; Magnetic resonance imaging; Resting-state; Regional homogeneity