Influence Of Fastigial Nucleus Electrostimulation On Neuronal Activity In Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease

Objective : To explore influence of fastigial nucleus electrostimulation(FNS) on neuronal activity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease using resting-state blood oxygen level dependent-functional MRI(BOLD-f MRI) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF) and fraction ALFF(f ALFF) analysis.Methods:Forty-two AD patients were divided into two groups(the treatment group is twenty-one and the comfort treatment group is twenty-one) and fastigial nucleus electrostimulation( FNS) was used to treat the patients. The two groups enrolled in rest state f MRI scanning before and after treatment. Comparing the differences of ALFF and f ALFF in two groups patients before and after treatment by statistical methods.Correlation analysis was performed in the ALFF and f ALFF images after treatment and neuropsychological tests scale.Results:Post- therapeutic the higher ALFF brain regions included left cerebellum posterior lobe, right cerebellum posterior lobe, left hippocampus/parahippocampus, left posterior cingulated cortex, left dorsolatcral prefrontal cortex, right inferior parietal lobule and the higher f ALFF brain region is right inferior parietal lobule in treatment group. Posttherapeutic the lower ALFF brain regions included bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe and left posterior cingulated cortex in comfort treatment group. Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive section was closely correlated with the ALFF value in the bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe. Conclusion The neuronal activity in some brain areas were improved in patients with AD after therapy of FNS. The change of BOLD-f MRI signal might provide a potential imaging evidence for studying neural mechanisms of FNS treating patients with AD.