Altered regional homogeneity in patients with unilateral acute open-globe injury: a resting-state functional MRI study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the underlying regional homogeneity (ReHo) brain activity changes in patients with unilateral acute open-globe injury (OGI) and their relationship with their clinical features.

Patients and methods: In total, 18 patients with acute OGI (16 males and two females) and 18 healthy controls (HCs; 16 males and two females) closely matched in age, sex, and education status participated in the study. Each subject underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The ReHo method was used to assess local features of spontaneous brain activity. Receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to distinguish OGIs from HCs. The nonparametric statistical analysis was used to explore the relationship between the observed mean ReHo values of the different brain areas and the behavioral performance.

Results: Compared with HCs, acute OGI patients had significantly increased ReHo values in the right cerebellum posterior lobe/lingual gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, and left precentral operculum. However, there was no relationship between the observed mean ReHo values of the different brain areas and the behavioral performance.

Conclusion: Acute OGI may cause dysfunction in many brain regions, which may reflect the underlying pathologic mechanisms of acute vision loss in OGI patients.

Keywords: ReHo; functional magnetic resonance imaging; open-globe injury; resting state.

Figure 1

Spontaneous brain activity in the OGI and HC groups. Notes: Significant differences in activity were observed for the right cerebellum posterior lobe/lingual gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, and left precentral operculum. The red areas denote higher ReHo values. P<0.05 for multiple comparisons using Gaussian random field theory (z>2.3, cluster-wise P<0.05 corrected). Abbreviations: OGI, open globe injury; HC, healthy control; ReHo, regional homogeneity; CPL, cerebellum posterior lobe; LG, lingual gyrus; STG, superior temporal gyrus; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; PCUN, precuneus; PrCO, precentral operculum.

Figure 2

The mean of altered ReHo values between patients with OGIs and HCs. Abbreviations: ReHo, regional homogeneity; OGI, open globe injury; HCs, healthy controls; RCPL, right cerebellum posterior lobe; LG, lingual gyrus; LSTG, left superior temporal gyrus; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; LIFG, left inferior frontal gyrus; LPCC, left posterior cingulate cortex; PCUN, precuneus; LPrCO, left precentral operculum.

Figure 3

ROC curve analysis of the mean ReHo values for altered brain regions. Note: The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for ReHo values: RCPL/LG (0.969), LSTG/IFG (0.997), LFG (0.935), LPCC/PCUN (0.997), and LPrCO (0.923). Abbreviations: ROC, receiver–operating characteristic; ReHo, regional homogeneity; RCPL, right cerebellum posterior lobe; LG, lingual gyrus; LSTG, left superior temporal gyrus; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; LIFG, left inferior frontal gyrus; LPCC, left posterior cingulate cortex; PCUN, precuneus; LPrCO, left precentral operculum.