Study of Brain Structure and Function in Chronic Mountain Sickness Based on fMRI.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Hypoxia Research

Background:

• Headache and memory impairment are key symptoms of chronic mountain sickness (CMS).
• Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of CMS is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify structural and functional brain changes associated with CMS using neuroimaging techniques.
• To investigate the impact of chronic hypoxia on brain morphology and activity in CMS patients.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) analysis of resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data.
• Comparison of 24 CMS patients with 25 age, sex, education, and altitude-matched normal controls.

Main Results:

• CMS patients exhibited altered gray matter volume in regions including the cerebellum, temporal gyri, insula, and basal ganglia.
• Changes in white matter volume were observed in the middle temporal gyrus and Heschl's gyrus.
• Abnormal spontaneous brain activity was detected in the supramarginal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, cerebellum, and supplementary motor area in CMS patients.

Conclusions:

• Chronic mountain sickness is associated with significant differences in brain structure (gray and white matter) and function (spontaneous activity).
• These neuroimaging findings suggest that chronic hypoxia induces structural and functional brain changes, contributing to CMS symptoms.