Brain network study of attentional cognitive impairment in children with bronchial asthma
Insights
Asthma in children can impair attention, impacting learning. This study found reduced brain connectivity in the frontal and parietal lobes of asthmatic children, correlating with attentional deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Bronchial asthma is frequently linked to cognitive deficits, particularly attention problems, affecting children's academic performance.
- Objective evaluation methods for attention deficits in pediatric asthma are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify objective neuroimaging indicators for evaluating attention deficits in children with asthma.
- To explore brain network differences between children with asthma and typically developing children (TDC).
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was employed in 31 asthmatic children and 31 TDC.
- Brain network analysis using degree centrality (DC) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) was performed.
Main Results:
- Asthmatic children exhibited lower DC in the right superior frontal gyrus compared to TDC.
- Reduced VMHC was observed in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus and bilateral superior parietal lobule of asthmatic children.
- Significant correlations were found between attention test performance (CPT) and brain connectivity in the superior frontal gyrus and superior parietal lobule.
Conclusions:
- Impaired function in the superior frontal gyrus and parietal lobe is associated with attentional deficits in pediatric asthma.
- These brain regions are critical components of attention-related neural networks.
Abstract:
Bronchial asthma often causes cognitive impairment, especially attentional deficit, which has a serious impact on children's learning. This study aims to provide objective indicators for the evaluation of attention in asthma children. Thirty-one asthmatic and typically developing children (TDC) were tested by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Brain network-based methods of degree centricity and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) methods were used in the study. Compared with the TDC group, asthmatic children had lower DC values in the right superior frontal gyrus (after FDR correction, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, VMHC values of bilateral superior frontal gyrus and bilateral superior parietal lobule in asthmatic children were lower than those in TDC group (after FDR correction, P < 0.05). There was significant correlation between the correct percentage of CPT and DC value in right superior frontal gyrus, VMHC value in right superior frontal gyrus, and right superior parietal lobule. In this study, impaired superior frontal gyrus and parietal lobe function are associated with attentional deficit in asthmatic children, and these brain regions are key brain regions in attention-related networks.
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