Data_Sheet_1_Abnormal functional connectivity of the frontostriatal circuits in type 2 diabetes mellitus.PDF

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder associated with an increased incidence of cognitive and emotional disorders. Previous studies have indicated that the frontostriatal circuits play a significant role in brain disorders. However, few studies have investigated functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in the frontostriatal circuits in T2DM.
ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) of the frontostriatal circuits in patients with T2DM and to explore the relationship between abnormal FC and diabetes-related variables.
MethodsTwenty-seven patients with T2DM were selected as the patient group, and 27 healthy peoples were selected as the healthy controls (HCs). The two groups were matched for age and sex. In addition, all subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neuropsychological evaluation. Seed-based FC analyses were performed by placing six bilateral pairs of seeds within a priori defined subdivisions of the striatum. The functional connection strength of subdivisions of the striatum was compared between the two groups and correlated with each clinical variable.
ResultsPatients with T2DM showed abnormalities in the FC of the frontostriatal circuits. Our findings show significantly reduced FC between the right caudate nucleus and left precentral gyrus (LPCG) in the patients with T2DM compared to the HCs. The FC between the prefrontal cortex (left inferior frontal gyrus, left frontal pole, right frontal pole, and right middle frontal gyrus) and the right caudate nucleus has a significant positive correlation with fasting blood glucose (FBG).
ConclusionThe results showed abnormal FC of the frontostriatal circuits in T2DM patients, which might provide a new direction to investigate the neuropathological mechanisms of T2DM.

背景：2型糖尿病（Type 2 diabetes mellitus, T2DM）是一种代谢紊乱性疾病，其与认知及情感障碍的发病率升高密切相关。既往研究表明，额纹状体环路在脑部疾病中发挥关键作用，但目前针对T2DM患者额纹状体环路的功能连接（functional connectivity, FC）异常的研究较为匮乏。
研究目的：本研究旨在探讨T2DM患者额纹状体环路的功能连接异常情况，并分析异常功能连接与糖尿病相关临床变量之间的关联。
研究方法：本研究纳入27例T2DM患者作为病例组，27例健康受试者作为健康对照组（Healthy Controls, HCs），两组在年龄与性别上进行匹配。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）检查及神经心理学评估。采用基于种子点的功能连接分析方法：在预先定义的纹状体亚区内放置6对双侧种子点，比较两组间纹状体亚区的功能连接强度，并将其与各项临床变量进行相关性分析。
研究结果：T2DM患者的额纹状体环路功能连接存在异常。相较于健康对照组，T2DM患者右侧尾状核与左侧中央前回（Left Precentral Gyrus, LPCG）之间的功能连接显著降低。前额叶皮层（左侧额下回、左侧额极、右侧额极及右侧额中回）与右侧尾状核之间的功能连接与空腹血糖（fasting blood glucose, FBG）呈显著正相关。
研究结论：本研究结果显示T2DM患者存在额纹状体环路功能连接异常，该发现可为探讨T2DM的神经病理机制提供新的研究方向。