Alterations of Brain Structural and Functional Connectivity Networks and Its Correlations With Cognitive Function in...

This study aims to investigate the alterations in structural and functional connectivity networks (SCN and FCN) in children with hypothalamic syndrome (HS) following craniopharyngioma resection and to explore the relationship between these network changes and clinical manifestations.

We performed graph theory analysis on SCN and FCN derived from 36 patients with HS and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC), with an age range of 6 to 13 years. We evaluated characteristics, nodal properties, and the coupling between SCN and FCN across 90 brain nodes. Partial correlation analyses examined relationships between graph theory properties and clinical scales, including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), and the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scale.

The SCN in the HS group exhibited abnormal global properties, including increased characteristic path length (Lp), decreased global efficiency (Eg), and local efficiency (ELOC), alongside notable reductions in nodal properties, such as degree centrality (Dc) and nodal efficiency (Ne) across multiple nodes. The FCN in the HS group also displayed abnormal global attributes, with elevated Lp and reduced Eg, alongside decreased Dc at the median cingulate and paracingulate gyri (DCG.L) node. However, no statistically significant differences were found in structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling between groups. Correlation analysis revealed significant links between WISC, WMS, and ADHD scales and various graph-theoretic properties in the HS group.

In patients with HS following craniopharyngioma resection, alterations in SCN and FCN characteristics have been observed. These neural changes are associated with cognitive developmental impairments related to HS, providing neuroimaging evidence elucidating the mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in HS patients.