title: Disrupted Functional Brain Connectome in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use resting-state functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and graph theory approaches to systematically investigate the topological organization of the functional connectome of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was approved by the research ethics committee, and all subjects provided informed consent for participation. Seventy-six patients with PTSD caused by an earthquake and 76 control subjects who experienced the same disaster were matched for age, sex, and years of education. The study subjects underwent resting-state functional MR imaging. The whole-brain functional network was then constructed by thresholding partial correlation matrices of 90 brain regions. The topological organization of the constructed network was analyzed by using graph theory approaches. Nonparametric permutation tests were also used for group comparisons of topological metrics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control subjects, patients with PTSD exhibited abnormalities in global properties, including a significant decrease in path length (P = .0002) and increases in the clustering coefficient (P = .0014), global efficiency (P = .0002), and local efficiency (P = .0004). Locally, the patients with PTSD exhibited increased centrality in nodes that are predominately involved in the default-mode network (DMN) and the salience network (SN), including the posterior cingulate gyrus, the precuneus, the insula, the putamen, the pallidum, and the temporal regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that individuals with PTSD exhibit a shift toward "small-worldization" (in which the network transforms from a random or regular network to a small-world network) rather than toward randomization; furthermore, the disequilibrium between the DMN and the SN might be associated with the pathophysiology of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Du
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Kaiming
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Lingjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Fuqin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: From Huaxi MR Research Center, the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (D.L., K.L., X.H., S.L., Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China (L.L.); Department of Medical Information Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China (F.C); and Departments of Psychiatry and Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L., F.B.). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grants 81030027, 81227002, 81220108013, 30830046, and 81171286), National Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (Program No. 2012BAI01B03), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (grant IRT1272), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grants 2012M521696 and 2013T60856).
authors.forename: Qiyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063132:Connectome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*