title: Graph theoretical analysis of functional networks and its relationship to cognitive decline in patients with carotid stenosis.
abstract: Significant carotid stenosis compromises hemodynamics and impairs cognitive functions. The interplay between these changes and brain connectivity has rarely been investigated. We aimed to discover the changes of functional connectivity and its relation to cognitive decline in carotid stenosis patients. Twenty-seven patients with unilateral carotid stenosis (≥60%) and 20 age- and sex-matched controls underwent neuropsychological tests and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The patients also received perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. The relationships between cognitive function and functional networks among the patients and controls were evaluated. Graph theory was applied on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging network analysis, which revealed that the hemispheres ipsilateral to the stenosis were significantly impaired in "degree" and "global efficiency." The neuropsychological performances were positively correlated with degree, clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and global efficiency, and negatively correlated with characteristic path length, modularity, and small-worldness in the patients, whereas these relationships were not observed in the controls. In this study, we identified the networks that were impaired in the affected hemispheres in patients with carotid stenosis. Specific indices (global efficiency, characteristic path length, and modularity) were highly correlated with neuropsychological performance in our patients. Analysis of brain connectivity may help to elucidate the relationship between hemodynamic impairment and cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Lun
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology Program, c/o Department of Occupational Therapy, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Shan
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yeu-Jhy
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ho-Fai
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Chang
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stroke Section, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsong-Hai
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA haliu@mdanderson.org thlee@cgmh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Ho-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Carotid stenosis; cognitive impairment; functional connectivity; graph theory; hemodynamics; resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging