Application of Region Efficiency Index in Functional Connectivity Analysis of Schizophrenia

Functional connections (FCs) methodology based on functional MRI data is an effective lever to investigate macroscopic neural activity patterns underlying critical aspects of cognition and behavior in schizophrenia (SZs). Dysconnectivity hypothesis are important features of SZs. However, region properties of brain network have been less investigated by special markers of graph indexes in general mental disorders.

Region efficiency index are introduced to explore the information integration capacity among different regions and subsystems. The important process is to uncover noticeable edge weight and region efficiency of FCs in 67 healthy controls and 53 chronic schizophrenia (SZs) patients.

Forty-five abnormal edges with significant P-values of FCs weight scores are discovered. There is abnormal thalamic-cortical FCs in SZs. Importantly, hippocampus L, hippocampus R, and parahippocampal gyrus L are endowed with significantly different node efficiency scores in SZs patients. The scores of hippocampus L is consistent with motor retardation, lack of judgment and insight, and poor impulse control.

Though strict contrastive study, it can be infer that the brain information integration is dysfunction in schizophrenia. Meanwhile, it is worth stressing that efficiency is a meaningful biological marker to excavating schizophrenic psychopathology.