Cortical microstructural changes in minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a gray matter-based spatial statistics study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is associated with brain structural alterations.
• Investigating cortical microstructural changes is crucial for understanding MHE pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cortical microstructural abnormalities in MHE using advanced neuroimaging techniques.
• To correlate these abnormalities with cognitive impairment in MHE patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and voxel-wise gray matter-based spatial statistics (GBSS).
• Acquired multi-shell diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data from healthy controls (HC), cirrhotic patients without MHE (NHE), and MHE patients.
• Assessed NODDI metrics (NDI, ODI) and their relationship with cognitive performance (PHES).

Main Results:

• MHE patients exhibited decreased neurite density index (NDI) in various cortical regions, including default mode network (DMN) areas.
• Regions with reduced NDI were more extensive in MHE than in NHE patients.
• Lower NDI in specific regions correlated with poorer cognitive scores (PHES).

Conclusions:

• The study provides evidence for cortical neurite microstructural modulation in MHE.
• Findings enhance the understanding of the biological basis underlying MHE-related cognitive impairments.