Altered default mode network connectivity in basal ganglia intracerebral hemorrhage: A resting-state fMRI study.
Li-Chao Wei, Jun Zhang, Fengyuan Zhou, D. Ru, Caihua Xi, Zhuo-Ying Du, Bi-Wu Wu, Gang Wu, Qiang Yuan, Jin Hu
Clinical neurology and neurosurgery May 25, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2025.108987 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 89 |
| Population | Patients with left- or right-sided basal ganglia intracerebral hemorrhage, compared with healthy controls |
| Measures | Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage was associated with altered default mode network connectivity, with the medial prefrontal cortex as the main co-altered region. Connectivity involving the left parahippocampal gyrus correlated with MMSE scores, and the authors argue that the mPFC-left parahippocampal circuit plays a key role in cognitive regulation after basal ganglia hemorrhage. |
Abstract
Objective: This study investigates the impact of basal ganglia intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) on default mode network (DMN) connectivity and its relationship with cognitive impairment using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
Method: DMN differences between left/right basal ganglia ICH patients and healthy controls were analyzed respectively. Co-altered brain region were obtained by overlapping the differential brain regions of bilateral basal ganglia ICH. Gene and functional decoding analyses validated the role of co-altered brain regions in cognition. Whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis was conducted using the co-altered brain region as a seed, and correlation analysis was performed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to obtain the cognitive representation brain network of patients in basal ganglia ICH. Finally, it was nested with the DMN of basal ganglia ICH patients to obtain the important brain regions regulating cognitive function in the DMN of basal ganglia ICH patients.
Result: A total of 89 basal ganglia ICH patients were enrolled. Compared to healthy controls, bilateral basal ganglia ICH patients showed significant alterations in DMN connectivity. The co-altered brain region mainly involved the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Additionally, gene and functional decoding analyses revealed strong association with chemical synaptic transmission, synaptic signaling, cognition, and intelligence. The left parahippocampal gyrus, the left superior temporal gyrus, right temporal regions, the cerebellar, and posterior cingulate cortex exhibited significant correlation with MMSE. Furthermore, the left parahippocampal gyrus emerged as a key node in the DMN of basal ganglia ICH patients involved in cognitive regulation.
Conclusion: The mPFC-left parahippocampal circuit in the DMN plays a crucial role in cognitive regulation following basal ganglia ICH. These findings provide new insights into neural mechanisms underlying cognitive changes after basal ganglia ICH and suggest potential therapeutic targets for cognitive rehabilitation.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis Neuron May 10, 2023
- The architecture of the human default mode network explored through cytoarchitecture, wiring and signal flow Nature Neuroscience January 28, 2025