title: Change of Brain Functional Connectivity in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury: Graph Theory Based Approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the global functional reorganization of the brain following spinal cord injury with graph theory based approach by creating whole brain functional connectivity networks from resting state-functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), characterizing the reorganization of these networks using graph theoretical metrics and to compare these metrics between patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and age-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with incomplete cervical SCI (14 males, 6 females; age, 55±14.1 years) and 20 healthy subjects (10 males, 10 females; age, 52.9±13.6 years) participated in this study. To analyze the characteristics of the whole brain network constructed with functional connectivity using rs-fMRI, graph theoretical measures were calculated including clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, global efficiency and small-worldness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clustering coefficient, global efficiency and small-worldness did not show any difference between controls and SCIs in all density ranges. The normalized characteristic path length to random network was higher in SCI patients than in controls and reached statistical significance at 12%-13% of density (p<0.05, uncorrected).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The graph theoretical approach in brain functional connectivity might be helpful to reveal the information processing after SCI. These findings imply that patients with SCI can build on preserved competent brain control. Further analyses, such as topological rearrangement and hub region identification, will be needed for better understanding of neuroplasticity in patients with SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yongmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical & Biological Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jang Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jungho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Ju
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Na
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Du
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Jung
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Neuronal plasticity; Spinal cord injuries