Impaired brain network architecture in Cushing’s disease based on graph theoretical analysis

Objective: To investigate the whole functional brain networks of Cushing disease (CD) patients about topological parameters compared with healthy control (NC). Further, we tested whether the small world and rich club organization were changed in CD patients compared with NC.

Patients and Methods: Nineteen CD patients and twenty-two healthy control subjects, matched in age, gender, and education, underwent resting-state fMRI. Graph theoretical were used to calculated the functional brain networks organization of all participants and compare between CD and NC.

Results: CD patients revealed higher global efficiency, less path length and cluster efficiency compared with healthy control. Additionally, small word organization was present in CD patients but higher than healthy control. Moreover, rich club connections, feeder connections and local connection were significantly decreased in CD patients.

Conclusion: We demonstrated that functional brain networks were altered in CD patients compared with healthy control. Topological parameters of brain network can be served as a new biomarker of CD patients and help us understand the pathogenesis of ACTH at the whole brain level.