Early Functional Connectivity Predicts Recovery from Visual Field Defects after Stroke.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Visual field defects (VFD) are common after acute stroke affecting the visual cortex.
• Predicting recovery from VFD is crucial for patient management and rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if early resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes predict visual field defect recovery in acute stroke patients.
• To investigate the relationship between RSFC and visual field scores (VFS) over time.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of acute ischemic stroke patients with VFD and age-matched healthy controls.
• Serial resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) and Humphrey visual field (VF) testing at multiple time points post-stroke.
• Correlation analysis between interhemispheric RSFC in visual cortices and VFS.

Main Results:

• Stroke patients exhibited lower VFS and decreased interhemispheric RSFC compared to controls.
• VFS and interhemispheric RSFC increased significantly within the first month post-stroke.
• Early interhemispheric RSFC (within 1 week) positively correlated with long-term VFS recovery.

Conclusions:

• Early interhemispheric RSFC in the visual cortices is a potential biomarker for predicting VFD recovery.
• RSFC measurements shortly after stroke can offer insights into long-term visual outcomes.