Network Centrality Measured By Resting-state FMRI In Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective:Using voxel-wise degree centrality(DC), we aimed to investigate the network centrality in patients with mild traumatic brain injury(mTBI).Methods:Twenty-seven mTBI patients(mTBI group) and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls(Control group) underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI), and clinical scales were also collected. Data of rs-fMRI were processed on Matlab 2012 a station by using degree centrality method(threshold value 0.25), and interclass differences were analyzed. Correlation analysis was performed for regions with DC value statistically different in mTBI group with clinical parameters. By setting different r threshold(0.1,0.15,0.2, 0.3, 0.35,0.4) to repeat the network analysis.Results:Compared with control group,significantly increased DC was found in right superior frontal gyrus, as well as significantly decreased DC was found in right middle temporal gyrus, bilateral Inferior parietal lobule, left cerebellum in mTBI group(p<0.05, GRF corrected). DC value in left orbit frontal cortex positively correlated with Adaptive Behavior Scale(r=0.5355,p=0.0084), Hamilton Anxiety Scale(r=0.6288,p=0.0013). DC value in right superior temporal gyrus positively correlated with Activity of Daily Living Scale(r=0.7079,p=0.0002). DC value in left superior frontal gyrus positively correlated with Clinical Dementia Rating(r=0.5175,p=0.0114), Disability Rating Scale(r=0.4287,p=0.0412), negatively correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination(r=?04974,p=0.0157). Changed DC value under voxel-level is with high verifiability than the brain parcellation atlases. Results under different r threshold is similar to the above.Conclusions:1.mTBI patients exhibit significant abnormal function network integration and topological properties may be risk factors for neurodegeneration. The changes distributed on different function brain systems, including default network, highlight network, motor network and multi-dimensional integration network. In addition, hub node function and role of redistribution or compensatory change.2. Differences of DC value in mTBI group and its correlation with clinical parameters prompted functional brain network separation and character shift after mTBI. Otherwise, these abnormal function network integration and topological properties may be risk factors for neurodegeneration. This can help us understand the evidence of neurocognitie function change and the foundation of brain function network after mTBI.