Topological Reorganization of the Default Mode Network in Severe Male Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Liting Chen, Xiaole Fan, Haijun Li, Chenglong Ye, Honghui Yu, Honghan Gong, Xianjun Zeng, Dechang Peng, Liping Yan
Frontiers in Neurology June 13, 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00363 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 92 |
| Population | 46 male patients with untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea and 46 male good sleepers |
| Measures | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Graph theory Cognitive function Obstructive sleep apnea |
| Key findings | Men with untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea showed disrupted default mode network connectivity, with decreased anterior-posterior and posterior connectivity and some increased connectivity, alongside reduced clustering coefficient and local efficiency and altered nodal centrality in several default mode regions. These connectivity abnormalities were related to network topology measures and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores, which the authors propose may contribute to cognitive deficits in obstructive sleep apnea. |
Abstract
Impaired spontaneous regional activity and altered topology of the brain network have been observed in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the mechanisms of disrupted functional connectivity (FC) and topological reorganization of the default mode network (DMN) in patients with OSA remain largely unknown. We explored whether the FC is altered within the DMN and examined topological changes occur in the DMN in patients with OSA using a graph theory analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and evaluated the relationship between neuroimaging measures and clinical variables. Resting-state data were obtained from 46 male patients with untreated severe OSA and 46 male good sleepers (GSs). We specifically selected 20 DMN subregions to construct the DMN architecture. The disrupted FC and topological properties of the DMN in patients with OSA were characterized using graph theory. The OSA group showed significantly decreased FC of the anterior-posterior DMN and within the posterior DMN, and also showed increased FC within the DMN. The DMN exhibited small-world topology in both OSA and GS groups. Compared to GSs, patients with OSA showed a decreased clustering coefficient (Cp) and local efficiency, and decreased nodal centralities in the left posterior cingulate cortex and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, and increased nodal centralities in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the right parahippocampal cortex. Finally, the abnormal DMN FC was significantly related to Cp, path length, global efficiency, and Montreal cognitive assessment score. OSA showed disrupted FC within the DMN, which may have contributed to the observed topological reorganization. These findings may provide further evidence of cognitive deficits in patients with OSA.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |