Exploring the Potential of Voxel-Mirrored Homotopic Connectivity (VMHC) and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) in
Qian Qin1,2,3, Jia Liu1,2,3, Wenliang Fan1,2,3
1Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Avenue #1277, Wuhan 430022, China.
Insights
Heart transplant recipients show cognitive decline, with altered brain connectivity patterns. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) changes in specific brain regions correlate with cognitive function, suggesting potential neural mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Cardiology
Background:
- Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure, but post-transplant cognitive impairment is a recognized complication.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of cognitive dysfunction after heart transplantation is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the application value of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in evaluating cognitive impairment in heart transplant patients.
- To identify specific brain regions with altered ReHo and VMHC and their correlation with cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized DPARSF software to calculate ReHo and VMHC in 68 heart transplant patients and 56 healthy controls.
- Employed two-sample t-tests to compare ReHo and VMHC between groups.
- Conducted Pearson correlation analysis between brain imaging metrics and cognitive scale scores (MMSE, MoCA).
Main Results:
- Heart transplant patients demonstrated significantly lower MMSE and MoCA scores compared to controls.
- Altered ReHo was observed in the right superior frontal gyrus, left thalamus, left calcarine, and left superior temporal gyrus.
- VMHC changes included elevations in bilateral Cerebellum_Crus1 and decreases in bilateral calcarine regions.
- Positive correlations were found between ReHo in the right superior frontal gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus, and VMHC in bilateral calcarine with MMSE and MoCA scores.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive decline is prevalent in heart transplant recipients.
- Distinct alterations in ReHo and VMHC patterns in specific brain regions are associated with impaired cognitive function post-heart transplantation.
- These neuroimaging findings offer insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive changes and may guide future therapeutic strategies.
Abstract:
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the application value of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in evaluating cognitive impairment after heart transplantation. Methods: A total of 68 heart transplant patients and 56 healthy controls were included. ReHo and VMHC were calculated using DPARSF software. A two-sample t-test was applied to compare the differences in ReHo and VMHC between the two groups, and a Pearson correlation analysis was performed by extracting the VMHC and ReHo values of different brain regions and correlating them with cognitive scale scores of the patient groups. Results: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were lower in the heart transplant group than in the control group (MMSE: t = 4.028, p < 0.001; MoCA: t = 4.914, p < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the ReHo values of Frontal_Sup_R (t = -4.422, p < 0.001), Thalamus_L (t = -3.911, p < 0.001), and Calcarine_L (t = -3.640, p < 0.001) were lower in the heart transplantation group, while the ReHo of Temporal_Sup_L was higher (t = 4.609, p < 0.001). VMHC was elevated for bilateral Cerebellum_Crus1 (t = 3.803, p < 0.001) and decreased for bilateral calcarine (t = -3.424, p < 0.001). The ReHo of Frontal_Sup_R was positively correlated with MMSE (r = 0.345, p = 0.004) and MoCA (r = 0.376, p = 0.002). The ReHo of Temporal_Sup_L was also positively correlated with MMSE (r = 0.397, p < 0.001) and MoCA (r = 0.542, p < 0.001). The VMHC of bilateral calcarine showed a positive correlation with MMSE (r = 0.513, p < 0.001) and MoCA (r = 0.398, p < 0.001). Other differential brain regions showed no significant correlation with the MMSE and MoCA scale scores. Conclusions: Cognitive decline was observed in heart transplant patients. Heart transplant patients exhibited altered ReHo and VMHC in several brain regions compared with healthy controls. These changes may underlie impaired cognitive function in heart transplant patients. These findings may contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms of cognitive changes in heart transplant patients and could inform future research on potential intervention strategies.
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