title: Abnormal functional connectivity within the default mode network in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis without hepatic encephalopathy revealed by resting-state functional MRI.
abstract: By means of "task free" resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), abnormal functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN) in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) has been reported; however, little is known about the changes of DMN in cirrhotic patients without overt or minimal HE. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a disruption of the FC within the DMN in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis without any signs of HE. Fifty one patients with HBV-related cirrhosis without HE and 61 age- and gender-matched healthy controls underwent the rs-fMRI. Seed-based region-to-region FC was used to analyze the connectivity between each pair of regions within the DMN, including posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampal formation (HF), inferior parietal cortex (IPC), and medial temporal lobe (MTL). Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the abnormal FC strength within the DMN and venous blood ammonia levels in patients. Compared with the controls, patients with HBV-related cirrhosis without HE demonstrated significantly decreased region-to-region FC between the mPFC and bilateral MTL, right HF, and left IPC, as well as between the right MTL and left IPC, right HF, and PCC. A significant negative relationship was observed between blood ammonia levels and connectivity strength between the mPFC and left IPC in patients. These results suggest that patients with HBV-related cirrhosis without HE had disrupted functional connectivty within the DMN, even before the appearance of minimal HE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Rongfeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Long Jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China. Electronic address: fmriweihuang@126.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China. Electronic address: fmrizhengling@126.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Guang Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D022124:Hyperammonemia / Q000209:etiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D012146:Rest; D014680:Veins
keywords: Default mode network; Functional connectivity; Hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis; Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging