Abnormalities in the thalamo-cortical network in patients with functional constipation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gastroenterology
• Network Science

Background:

• Functional constipation (FCon) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID).
• Previous neuroimaging studies suggest thalamo-cortical functional abnormalities in FGID patients.
• The relationship between FCon and brain network topological characteristics is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional brain topological organization in patients with FCon compared to healthy controls (HC).
• To explore global, regional, and modular network alterations in FCon using graph theory.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) was utilized.
• A graph theory approach was applied to analyze brain network topology.
• 42 FCon patients and 41 HC underwent RS-fMRI scans.

Main Results:

• FCon patients exhibited significantly lower normalized clustering coefficient and small-worldness, indicating reduced brain functional connectivity.
• Altered nodal degree and efficiency were observed in the thalamus, rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), and supplementary motor area (SMA).
• Abnormalities in within-module network properties and inter-network interactions (thalamus-limbic network) were identified in FCon.

Conclusions:

• FCon is associated with significant abnormalities in the thalamo-cortical network topology.
• These topological changes involve regions critical for sensory processing, emotional regulation, and motor control.
• Specific network alterations correlate with clinical symptoms of constipation, suggesting a neurobiological basis for FCon.