Translating Functional Connectivity After Stroke: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Detects Comparable Network...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Systems Neuroscience
• Translational Stroke Research

Background:

• Translational research for stroke therapies is hindered by interspecies differences in brain anatomy and function.
• Comparing rodent and human stroke recovery, particularly brain reorganization, presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if stroke-induced neural network changes follow similar patterns in mice and humans.
• To utilize a systems-level perspective for comparing stroke-evoked network alterations across species.

Main Methods:

• Acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data in human stroke patients and two mouse stroke models (photothrombosis, distal middle cerebral artery occlusion).
• Applied identical data processing steps for direct comparison of global network changes using graph theory.

Main Results:

• Network parameters exhibited similar patterns in the postacute stroke phase in both mice and humans.
• Global communication facilitation metrics, like small-worldness and characteristic path length, showed comparable changes in the early days post-stroke.
• Small-worldness correlated with motor impairment in humans and predicted motor recovery in mice.

Conclusions:

• Network measures derived from rs-fMRI data after stroke share significant similarities between mice and humans.
• These observed network alterations can potentially serve as valuable therapeutic readout parameters for translational stroke studies.