Associating Disrupted Intrinsic Functional Networks with Cognitive and Socio-Affective Skills Following Cerebellar...

Stroke patients often experience post-stroke emotional impairments, yet the underlying pathophysiology remains unclear. At the brain level, dysregulation of socio-affective skills should be considered through alterations in brain networks instead of isolated regions. Investigating network alterations may be crucial in explaining emotional or cognitive deficits. In this context, and in line with the dysmetria of thought theory, cerebello-cortical networks' alterations could explain socio-affective functioning. To examine whether impairments in intrinsic functional networks following a cerebellar stroke are associated with poor cognitive and socio-affective performance. Thirty-six cerebellar stroke patients underwent resting-state functional MRI scans at the early stage (T1). They were assessed through a battery of clinical evaluations for cognitive and socio-affective skills. At the chronic stage (T2), evaluations were repeated with additional ecological momentary assessments (EMA) for emotional behavior. The global efficiencies of four resting-state functional brain networks associated with the cerebellum were determined. Patients were classified into subgroups of high and low functioning based on the evaluations and compared. Poorer global efficiency in the default-mode network was present in the subgroup with higher depression (T1: p = 0.034, T2: p = 0.006) and low EMA positive mood (p = 0.048), while lower efficiency in the dorsal attentional network was shown in the subgroup with lower verbal memory (T1: p = 0.004, T2: p = 0.048). Disruptions in intrinsic functional networks are linked to poorer cognition and emotion for some cerebellar stroke patients, partially supporting the theory of 'dysmetria of thought'.