Abnormal structural‒functional coupling patterning in progressive supranuclear palsy is associated with diverse...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Brain anatomy underpins cognitive functions and adaptive behaviors.
• Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is associated with altered brain network structure and function.
• The relationship between structural-functional coupling (SFC), hierarchical organization, and cellular histology in PSP is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interplay between cellular histology, hierarchical structure, and SFC in PSP patients.
• To elucidate the specific changes in SFC across the cortex in PSP.
• To explore the link between SFC alterations and underlying cellular and hierarchical brain organization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized neuroimaging data from two independent patient cohorts.
• Integrated a public histological dataset for cellular analysis.
• Examined structural-functional coupling (SFC) and its relationship with hierarchical gradients and cellular features.

Main Results:

• PSP significantly disrupts cortical SFC, with notable increases in the visual network (VN).
• SFC alterations in PSP align with a macroscopic organizational principle, progressing from unimodal to transmodal gradients.
• VN regions affected by SFC changes exhibit greater laminar differentiation, primarily due to increased cellular density and smaller internal-granular layer cells.

Conclusions:

• Findings offer a framework for understanding SFC alterations in PSP.
• The study highlights consistent structural and functional changes in PSP related to hierarchical organization and cellular histology.
• Provides novel insights into the neuropathological basis of PSP.