Altered neurovascular coupling and structure-function coupling in Moyamoya disease affect postoperative collateral...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Moyamoya disease (MMD) involves chronic ischemia, affecting white matter microstructure and neural functional networks.
• The relationship between cerebral blood flow (CBF), functional connectivity (FC), and structural connectivity (SC) in MMD remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the coupling between CBF and functional connectivity (neurovascular coupling) and between SC and FC in MMD patients.
• To explore the association of these couplings with cognitive function and postoperative collateral formation.

Main Methods:

• Included 38 MMD patients and 20 healthy controls (HC).
• Utilized T1-weighted imaging, arterial spin labeling (ASL) for CBF, resting-state functional MRI for FC, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for SC.
• Calculated SC-FC coupling and neurovascular coupling (CBF-DC coupling).

Main Results:

• MMD patients exhibited decreased CBF-DC coupling compared to HC, particularly in the parietal lobe.
• SC-FC coupling was reduced in frontal, occipital, and subcortical regions in MMD patients.
• CBF-DC and SC-FC couplings correlated with cognitive scores, and CBF-DC coupling was higher in patients with good postoperative collateral formation.

Conclusions:

• Neurovascular decoupling and structure-functional decoupling are potential underlying neuropathological mechanisms in Moyamoya disease.
• These findings highlight the complex interplay between blood flow, brain structure, and function in MMD.
• The study provides insights into MMD's pathophysiology and potential imaging biomarkers.