Insular glioma and emotional states affect the whole brain network: a task-state electroencephalography study
Chuanhao Zhang1, Zuocheng Yang2, Qifeng He1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Purpose:
This study investigated the effects of insular gliomas on brain functional network dynamics during auditory stimulus processing via task-state electroencephalography (EEG) combined with graph theory analysis.
Methods:
Thirty-three insular glioma patients (PT) and seventeen healthy controls (HC) underwent auditory Oddball task-based EEG recording. Graph theory analysis was used to assess functional connectivity and core network indices (Cp, locE, gE, Lp, σ) across four frequency bands. Neuropsychological assessments (MoCA, MMSE, HAMA, HDRS) were performed to evaluate cognitive and emotional states.
Results:
PT and HC had no significant demographic differences, but PT showed lower MoCA/MMSE scores and higher HAMA/HDRS scores (all p0.05 for left). Abnormal beta band functional connections between PT and HC were more extensive under novel (342) than standard stimuli (220); left and right insular glioma patients had 764 and 438 abnormal beta-band connections under novel stimuli, respectively. PT had significantly lower beta band Cp, locE and small-worldness coefficient under novel stimuli than HC, with such reductions only significant in right insular glioma patients. These beta band indices in PT were negatively correlated with HAMA/HDRS scores under novel stimuli, and this correlation was specific to right insular glioma patients (all p > 0.05 for left).
Conclusion:
Insular gliomas impair beta band whole brain functional network integration and small-worldness under novel stimuli, with prominent hemispheric specificity: right insular glioma patients show significant topological indicator damage, while left insular glioma patients maintain stable networks via left dominant hemisphere interhemispheric compensatory plasticity. Beta band Cp, locE and small-worldness coefficient under novel stimuli are potential neurophysiological indicators for insular glioma assessment, especially for right insular lesions. These indices are closely associated with anxiety and depression in right insular glioma patients, highlighting the need to consider tumor laterality in clinical evaluation and implement comprehensive emotional interventions for such patients.
