Altered functional connectivity between the default mode network in primary angle-closure glaucoma patients
Qiu-Yu Tang, Bing-Lin Huang, Xin Huang
Neuroreport February 7, 2024 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001995 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 68 |
| Population | 34 patients diagnosed with primary angle-closure glaucoma and 34 healthy controls matched for sex, age, and education |
| Measures | functional MRI (resting-state functional connectivity) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma showed weakened functional connectivity within the default mode network compared with healthy controls, specifically between the posterior cingulate cortex and the left anterior cingulum cortex and left paracentral lobule. The authors suggest this reflects a neurological mechanism associated with both visual dysfunction and cognitive impairments in these patients. |
Abstract
Previous studies have recognized glaucoma as a neurodegenerative disease that causes extensive brain damage and is closely associated with cognitive function. In this study, we employed functional MRI to examine the intrinsic functional connectivity patterns of the default mode network (DMN) in patients diagnosed with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), exploring its association with cognitive dysfunction. A total of 34 patients diagnosed with PACG and 34 healthy controls (HC), who were matched in terms of sex, age, and education, were included in the control group. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was selected as the region of interest to examine functional connectivity alterations. Compared with the HC group, functional connectivity was attenuated in left anterior cingulum cortex and left paracentral lobule between with PCC in the PACG group, the results are statistically significant. Our study revealed that patients with PACG exhibit weakened functional connectivity within the DMN. This finding suggests the presence of a neurological mechanism that is associated with both visual dysfunction and cognitive impairments in PACG patients. Furthermore, our study provides neuroimaging evidence that can aid in the exploration of spontaneous neurological alterations and facilitate a deeper investigation of alterations in the visual conduction pathways of PACG 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 7
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Mapping the self in the brain's default mode network Neuroimage February 15, 2016
and 2 more in the library