Altered Topological Properties of Grey Matter Structural Covariance Networks in Complete Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury Patients: A Graph Theoretical Network Analysis

Neural Plasticity, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8815144 · Published: February 2, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Medical Imaging Neuroplasticity

Simple Explanation

This study investigated how spinal cord injury (SCI) affects the brain's structure and connections using MRI scans. Researchers compared brain scans of individuals with complete thoracic SCI to those of healthy individuals. The study looked at the volume of gray matter in different brain regions and how these regions are connected to each other. They also explored the relationship between these brain changes and clinical measures like depression and anxiety. The findings suggest that SCI can lead to changes in brain structure and connectivity, particularly in areas related to psychological and cognitive functions. These changes are also linked to the severity of depressive feelings.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

24 complete thoracic SCI patients and 26 healthy controls

Evidence Level

Level III, cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
SCI patients showed reduced gray matter volume in the left middle frontal cortex, right superior orbital frontal cortex (OFC), and left inferior OFC.
2
SCI patients had increased betweenness centrality (BC) in the right anterior cingulum cortex (ACC) and left inferior OFC, and increased nodal degree and efficiency in bilateral middle OFCs.
3
A negative correlation was found between gray matter volume in the right middle OFC and SDS score in SCI patients.

Research Summary

This study used VBM and graph theoretical network analyses to investigate alterations in GMV and GMV-based SCNs in complete thoracic SCI patients within one postinjury year, and partial correlation analysis was used to explore the association between GMV of structurally changed brain regions and clinical variables. In these patients, we only found GMV reduction in the left middle frontal cortex, left inferior OFC, and right superior OFC, which play an important role in the regulation of psychological or cognitive functions. The neuropsychological therapies are suggested to be taken account into the current rehabilitation sessions at the early stage to prevent psychological and cognitive dysfunction as well as irreversible brain structure damage.

Practical Implications

Neuropsychological Intervention

Early neuropsychological intervention is suggested to prevent psychological and cognitive dysfunction as well as irreversible brain structure damage.

Rehabilitation Strategies

Current rehabilitation strategies should focus on sensory and motor trainings, which might prevent irreversibly structural brain changes in sensorimotor brain regions.

Psychological and Cognitive Evaluations

Emphasized the importance of psychological and cognitive evaluations for SCI patients and neuropsychological interventions

Study Limitations

1
The sample size of the present study was relatively small.
2
The longitudinal comparison of structural changes between pre- and posttherapies needs further investigation.
3
Longer follow-up duration may be worthwhile to investigate time-dependent eﬀects of SCI.

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