Brain temporal dynamics correlate with clinical traits, spontaneous arm movements, and recovery in middle cerebral...

The purpose of this study was to look into the brain functional network changes and their possible correlations with clinical traits, spontaneous arm movements, and recovery in middle cerebral artery stroke.

The study included 34 patients with acute cerebral infarction (CI) at middle artery and upper limb dyskinesia, as well as 50 healthy control (HC) participants. The spontaneous activity data of both upper limbs were recorded using a wrist activity recorder for 24 h. The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scales were then completed 90 days after the stroke onset. Resting-state EEG was acquired from both the CI and HC groups, and brain network features were examined using the microstate analysis. The correlations between microstates, spontaneous activity and clinical traits were investigated.

Compared with the HC group, the CI group had a higher MsB duration, lower MsC coverage and occurrence, and a decrease in both MsA and MsB to MsC as well as a decrease in MsC to MsA (p < 0.05); only the transition from MsC to MsB was enhanced; Reduced MsD coverage, occurrence, and duration when patients had larger FMA scores (p < 0.05); The MsB to MsA and MsD significantly correlated with FMA. Moreover, we found increased MsC coverage and duration, as well as the transition rates of MsA and MsD to MsC in those patients with mRS scores larger than one at 90 days after stroke (p < 0.05). Parts of Ms parameters involving MsA significantly correlated with mRS at 90 days after stroke.

The dynamic balance of brain networks is altered when cerebral infarction occurs, and microstates offer a portion of the functional brain network foundation that allows us to recognize these alterations. These changes in temporal dynamic parameters effectively suggest the clinical traits and functional recovery in CI.