Dynamic changes of resting state functional network following acute ischemic stroke.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Stroke is a leading cause of death globally, often involving diaschisis, where remote brain regions exhibit altered activity.
• The precise mechanisms underlying acute ischemic stroke recovery, particularly concerning brain functional connectivity, require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of comprehensive treatment on resting-state brain functional connectivity in acute ischemic stroke patients.
• To reveal the therapeutic mechanisms of stroke recovery by analyzing changes in neural activity over time.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study design involving 21 acute ischemic stroke patients and 20 healthy controls.
• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical evaluations at three time points: baseline (<72h), 1 month, and 3 months post-stroke.
• Analysis using Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (ALFF) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA).

Main Results:

• Stroke patients showed decreased ALFF in the right cuneus, normalizing by three months.
• Resting-state functional connectivity alterations were observed in the visual network (right cuneus) and default mode network (right precuneus), with distinct recovery timelines (3 months and 1 month, respectively).
• Clinical scale score improvements were significantly associated with enhanced functional connectivity in the cuneus and precuneus.

Conclusions:

• The cuneus and precuneus, integral to visual and default mode networks, play crucial roles in stroke recovery.
• Distinct recovery patterns in neural functional networks contribute to neurological function restoration after stroke.
• Findings offer potential applications for tailoring rehabilitation strategies across different recovery phases.