| Objective:To examine the characteristics of the patterns of regional homogeneity(ReHo)and functional connectivity(FC)in the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)in patients with mild vascular cognitive impairment(VaMCI)and analyze the relationships among these changes in cognitive function.Methods:Twenty VaMCI patients(mean age 65.00 ±7.49 years,male / female = 12 / 8)and 24 healthy controls(mean age 62.33 ±10.48 years,male / female = 14 / 10)with normal cognitive function matched by age,sex and educational level were selected.All subjects were scanned with fMRI.The differences in ReHo in aberrant brain regions and the seed-based FC of the bilateral ACC were compared between the two groups.Then,correlation analyses were performed concerning the relationship among ReHo,strength of FC,and montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scores in patients with VaMCI.Results:1.The figures obtained for visual space or executive function(2.55±1.28),attention or computing power(4.65±1.09),language(1.80±1.01),delayed recall(3.10±1.02),and directional power(5.05±0.94),along with the total points for Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)(21.70±1.69)and the total points for Mini-Mental StateExamination(MMSE)(26.50±1.57),were significantly lower in VaMCI than in the normal control group(4.46±0.59,5.96±0.20,2.83±0.48,4.25±0.74,5.83±0.38,28.17±1.34,and 28.50±1.14;t = 6.163,5.776,4.212,4.331,3.481,14.162,and 4.879,all P < 0.05).In contrast,the results for naming(2.85±0.37)and abstract ability(1.70±0.57)were not significantly different between the groups(2.92±0.41 and 1.88±0.34;t = 0.565 and 1.206,both P > 0.05).2.There were brain default mode network(DMN)changes between the VaMCI group and the NC group(1)Brain regions featured reduced ReHo in the VaMCI group,specifically in the Frontal_Mid_L,Angular_L,and Angular_R(P < 0.05,cluster size > 100).(2)The patients showed greater FC decrease in the ACC and Frontal_Lobe_R than the NC group(P < 0.05,no correction,cluster size > 100).Furthermore,the Occipital_Lobe_R showed greater FC in patients(P < 0.05,no correction,cluster size >100).3.In the VaMCI group,brain regions with decreased ReHo were positively correlated with higher MoCa scores,namely,Frontal_Mid_L,Angular_L,and Angular_R.In the same group,the brain region that correlated with the MoCA scores most positively was Frontal_lobe_R,and Occipital_Lobe_R was negatively correlated.Conclusion:1.In the resting state,reduction of excitability in the middle frontal cortex and bilateral angular cortexs in DMN of VaMCI patients were decreased,and abnormal functional connection pattern of anterior cingulate gyrus was found.This find could provide functional imaging evidence for early diagnosis of VaMCI.2.There was a correlation between the patterns identified(decreased ReHo in certain brain regions and abnormal anterior cingulate junctions in patients with VaMCI)and the MoCa score,which was valuable for the early discriminate of the disease. |
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