The gray matter atrophy and related network changes occur in the higher cognitive region rather than the primary sensorimotor cortex after spinal cord injury

This study used fMRI to examine brain changes in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, focusing on gray matter volume (GMV) and brain network activity. The study found that SCI patients had lower GMV in frontal, temporal, and insular cortices, which are areas associated with higher cognitive functions, and these changes correlated with motor scores. The results suggest that cognitive functions are significantly affected after SCI and should be a focus of rehabilitation strategies.

• 1
  SCI patients showed decreased GMV in the frontal, temporal, and insular cortices compared to healthy controls.
• 2
  Altered functional connectivity (FC) regions were found in the cingulate gyrus, supplementary motor area (SMA), precuneus, frontal lobe, and insular, not in the primary sensorimotor area.
• 3
  Some altered GMV and FC regions were correlated with ASIA motor scores, indicating that higher cognitive regions can affect motor function in SCI patients.