Altered functional connectivity within and between the default model network and the visual network in primary...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by vision loss.
• Altered brain functional connectivity may underlie visual field defects in glaucoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate functional connectivity (FC) alterations within and between the visual network (VN) and default mode network (DMN) in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
• To correlate these network abnormalities with clinical measures in POAG patients.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 25 POAG patients and 25 controls were analyzed.
• Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify the VN and DMN.
• Functional connectivity (FC) and functional network connectivity (FNC) analyses were performed within and between the identified RSNs.

Main Results:

• POAG patients exhibited decreased FC within the occipital pole of the VN.
• Reduced FNC was observed within the VN, and altered FNC (two increased, one decreased) was found between the VN and DMN.
• The decreased inter-network connection positively correlated with visual field mean deviation.

Conclusions:

• Glaucoma is associated with significant alterations in resting-state brain networks, particularly the visual and default mode networks.
• Reorganization of functional connectivity in these networks may play a role in glaucoma pathophysiology.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms of glaucoma.