Altered functional connectivity between the default mode network in diabetic retinopathy patients.
Wan Yun Chen, Yu Lin Zhong, Han Jin, Xin Huang
Neuroreport March 14, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001895 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 71 |
| Population | 34 diabetic retinopathy patients and 37 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and education level |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Prefrontal cortex Humans Diabetic retinopathy Diabetes mellitus Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping |
| Key findings | Diabetic retinopathy patients showed increased functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and both the left medial superior frontal gyrus and the right precuneus compared with healthy controls. The authors suggest this enhanced default mode network connectivity may reflect a compensatory increase in neural activity and may help explain cognitive impairment in diabetic retinopathy. |
Abstract
Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated that diabetic retinopathy is associated with cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic functional connectivity pattern within the default mode network (DMN) and its associations with cognitive impairment in diabetic retinopathy patients using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI).
Methods: A total of 34 diabetic retinopathy patients and 37 healthy controls were recruited for rs-fMRI scanning. Both groups were age, gender, and education level matched. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was chosen as the region of interest for detecting functional connectivity changes.
Results: Compared with the healthy control group, diabetic retinopathy patients showed increased functional connectivity between PCC and left medial superior frontal gyrus and increased functional connectivity between PCC and right precuneus.
Conclusion: Our study highlights that diabetic retinopathy patients show enhanced functional connectivity within DMN, suggesting that a compensatory increase of neural activity might occur in DMN, which offers new insight into the potential neural mechanism of cognitive impairment in diabetic retinopathy patients.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- Altered functional connectivity of the default mode network by glucose loading in young, healthy participants. BMC Neuroscience May 31, 2018