Resting-State Functional Connectivity Alterations in Individuals With White Matter Hyperintensities: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• White-matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are key indicators of cerebral small-vessel disease.
• WMHs are strongly associated with cognitive decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate global functional network alterations in individuals with WMHs.
• To explore the association between these network changes and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (RSFC) and network-based statistics (NBS) were used.
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were compared between 33 individuals with WMHs and 34 controls.
• Support vector machine (SVM) models assessed the diagnostic potential of functional networks.

Main Results:

• Individuals with WMHs had lower MoCA scores and reduced RSFC in networks including DMN-SMN, DMN-CON, and CON-CER.
• SVM models showed high accuracy (AUC > 0.82) in classifying WMH status based on network connectivity.
• Global and modular RSFC strength positively correlated with MoCA scores.

Conclusions:

• WMHs are associated with widespread functional connectivity alterations, particularly in cognitive and motor networks.
• These RSFC differences may underlie cognitive decline in WMH patients.
• Altered functional networks show promise as biomarkers for early detection and intervention.