Longitudinal alterations in static and dynamic functional connectivity in basal ganglia ischaemic stroke:...

This study investigated longitudinal alterations in static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) in patients with basal ganglia ischaemic stroke (BGIS) to elucidate their distinct roles in neurological recovery.

Resting-state fMRI data from 29 BGIS patients and 34 healthy controls (HCs) were analysed at three time points (Days 1-7, 30, and 90). Using the right precentral gyrus as a seed, sFC and sliding window dFC analyses were performed. Whole-brain Gaussian random field correction was applied, and connectivity metrics were correlated with clinical motor and cognitive-emotional scores.

A total of 29 patients with BGIS and 34 HCs were included in this study. Compared with HCs, patients with BGIS had abnormal sFC and dFC in various other brain regions. Specifically, sFC was greater in the right angular and left precuneus regions, whereas dFC was reduced across the brain in BGIS patients (all p < 0.05). Longitudinal analyses revealed significant temporal variations in both sFC and dFC, primarily within the right middle temporal gyrus and left lingual gyrus (all p < 0.05). Preliminary correlations suggest that sFC changes may be related to motor recovery, whereas dFC changes are linked to cognitive-emotional outcomes.

This exploratory study provides preliminary insights into stage-specific alterations in sFC and dFC during BGIS recovery. Motor recovery might be related to alterations in sFC, whereas cognitive-emotional outcomes may correlate with temporal variations in dFC. These dissociations highlight the pivotal role of neural network flexibility and may provide preliminary clues to unpack the complex manifestations of neurological recovery after BGIS.