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Aberrant brain structural-functional coupling and structural/functional network topology explain developmental delays

Zhongxin Huang1,2, Helin Zheng3,4, Longlun Wang3,4

  • 1Department of Radiology, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China.

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|December 20, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) show reduced brain structural-functional coupling and altered network properties. These neuroimaging findings may explain early developmental delays in PWS.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience

Background:

  • Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder linked to brain network abnormalities.
  • Understanding structural-functional coupling and network topology in PWS is crucial for early diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate structural-functional coupling and network topological properties in children with PWS.
  • To correlate these neuroimaging findings with developmental scales.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were used.
  • Structural and functional brain networks were constructed and analyzed for global and nodal properties.
  • Partial correlations with developmental scales were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Children with PWS exhibited decreased structural-functional coupling.
  • Global network properties showed higher characteristic path length and lower global efficiency in the structural network.
  • Nodal properties were altered in both structural (decreased) and functional (increased) networks.
  • Functional network alterations significantly correlated with developmental scales.

Conclusions:

  • Structural-functional decoupling and altered network topology are key neuroimaging features in PWS.
  • These findings may elucidate mechanisms of early neurodevelopmental delays in PWS.
  • Network properties could serve as potential biomarkers for assessing developmental backwardness.

Keywords:
Diffusion tensor imagingGraph theoryPrader-Willi syndromeResting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingStructural-functional coupling

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