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Neurologic Factors in Patients with Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment Based on fMRI
Yingying Zhuang1, Yuntao Shi2, Jiandong Zhang1
1Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian City, China.
Abstract:
This study focused on the application of functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychology in diagnosis of vascular mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the exploration of its relevant factors. The study enrolled 28 patients with vascular MCI in an observation group and 30 healthy individuals in a control group. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging. An automatic segmentation algorithm based on graph theory was adopted to process the images. Age, sex, disease course, Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, regional homogeneity, and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation levels were recorded. There were no significant differences in age, gender, and course of disease between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). The level of regional homogeneity in the left posterior cerebellum in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05).The regional homogeneity level of bilateral cingulate cortex was negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (P < 0.05). The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of bilateral inferior parietal lobe, parietal lobe, and prefrontal lobe in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus, superior medial frontal gyrus, orbital frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and right auxiliary motor area was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Heart disease, such as myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation, is a high risk factor for vascular MCI. Functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with an automatic segmentation algorithm can noninvasively observe the changes of a patient's brain tissue, which can be used in the recognition of vascular MCI. The global network attributes of patients with depression tend to be more randomized and have stronger resilience under targeted attacks.
Insights
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) aids in diagnosing vascular mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study found distinct brain activity patterns in MCI patients, highlighting heart disease as a key risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging and Cognitive Science
- Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Vascular mild cognitive impairment (MCI) poses a significant diagnostic challenge.
- Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of vascular MCI is crucial for early detection and intervention.
- Identifying risk factors associated with vascular MCI is essential for preventative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychology for diagnosing vascular MCI.
- To explore factors relevant to the development and progression of vascular MCI.
- To investigate brain activity alterations in patients with vascular MCI compared to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 28 patients with vascular MCI and 30 healthy controls.
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an automatic segmentation algorithm based on graph theory.
- Recorded demographic data, cognitive scores (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF).
Main Results:
- Vascular MCI patients showed significantly higher ReHo in the left posterior cerebellum compared to controls.
- ReHo in the bilateral cingulate cortex negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores.
- Vascular MCI patients exhibited lower ALFF in several brain regions (inferior parietal, parietal, prefrontal lobes) and higher ALFF in others (anterior cingulate, medial frontal, orbital frontal, middle frontal gyri, auxiliary motor area).
Conclusions:
- Functional MRI combined with advanced image processing can noninvasively detect brain changes in vascular MCI.
- Specific patterns of regional homogeneity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations are associated with vascular MCI.
- Heart disease (e.g., myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation) is identified as a significant risk factor for vascular MCI.
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