Altered Large-Scale Resting-State Functional Network Connectivity in Convergence Insufficiency Young Adults Compared...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common visual disorder affecting near work.
• The neurophysiological underpinnings of CI are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) differences in symptomatic CI patients versus binocularly normal controls (BNC).
• To explore the relationship between RSFC alterations and clinical measures of CI.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess RSFC in 49 CI patients and 47 BNC.
• Group-level independent components analysis and dual regression were employed.
• Linear regression analyzed correlations between clinical visual function measures and RSFC.

Main Results:

• Patients with CI exhibited decreased RSFC within the frontoparietal, default mode, and visual networks compared to BNC.
• Default mode network RSFC strength correlated significantly with near point of convergence and vergence measures.

Conclusions:

• Altered RSFC is evident in individuals with CI compared to controls.
• These neurophysiological differences may be linked to the optometric visual functions used to diagnose CI.