Cushing’s disease disrupts functional brain network topology

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the whole functional brain networks of active Cushing disease (CD) patients about topological parameters (small world and rich club et al.) and compared with healthy control (NC). Methods: Nineteen active CD patients and twenty-two healthy control subjects, matched in age, gender, and education, underwent resting-state fMRI. Graph theoretical analysis were used to calculate the functional brain networks organization of all participants and compare between active CD and NC. Results: Active CD patients revealed higher global efficiency, less path length and cluster efficiency compared with healthy control. Additionally, small word organization was present in active CD patients but higher than healthy control. Moreover, rich club connections, feeder connections and local connection were significantly decreased in active CD patients. Conclusions: The functional network properties were disrupted in active CD patients compared with healthy contro...摘要 研究目的：探讨活动性库欣病（Cushing Disease, CD）患者全脑功能网络的拓扑参数（包括小世界属性、富人俱乐部属性等），并与健康对照（Normal Control, NC）进行对比分析。 研究方法：纳入19例活动性CD患者与22例年龄、性别及受教育程度相匹配的健康对照受试者，所有受试者均接受静息态功能磁共振成像（resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, rs-fMRI）扫描。采用图论分析方法计算所有受试者的全脑功能网络组织特征，并对比活动性CD患者与健康对照之间的组间差异。 研究结果：相较于健康对照，活动性CD患者表现出更高的全局效率、更短的路径长度以及更高的聚类效率。此外，活动性CD患者存在小世界网络组织，且其小世界属性高于健康对照群体。进一步分析显示，活动性CD患者的富人俱乐部连接、馈送连接与局部连接均显著降低。 研究结论：与健康对照相比，活动性CD患者的功能网络属性存在异常改变。