title: Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity study in unilateral pulsatile tinnitus patients with single etiology: A seed-based functional connectivity study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies demonstrated altered regional neural activations in several brain areas in patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT), especially indicating an important role of posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). However, few studies focused on the degree of functional connectivity (FC) of this area in PT patients. In this study, we will compare the FC of PCC in patients affected with this condition and normal controls by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural and functional MRI data were obtained from 36 unilateral PT patients with single etiology and 36 matched healthy controls. FC feature of the region of interest (PCC) were characterized using a seed-based correlation method with the voxels in the whole-brain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy controls, patients showed significant decreased FC to the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right thalamus and bilateral insula. By contrast, PCC demonstrated increased functional connectivity between the precuneus, bilateral inferior parietal lobule and middle occipital gyrus. We also found correlations between the disease duration of PT and FC of PCC-right MTG (r=-0.616, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unilateral PT patients could have abnormal FC to the PCC bilaterally in the brain. PCC, as a highly integrated brain area, is an example of nucleus that was involved in mediation between different neural networks. It might be a modulation core between visual network and auditory network. The decreased FC of MTG to PCC may indicate a down regulation of activity between PCC and auditory associated brain cortex. Decreased FC between limbic system (bilateral AI) and PCC may reflect the emotional message control in patient group. This study facilitated understanding of the underlying neuropathological process in patients with pulsatile tinnitus.
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, CA, 94305, USA.
authors: Han
authors: H
authors: Lv
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Pengfei
authors: P
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors: Zhaohui
authors: Z
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Liheng
authors: L
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Guopeng
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Zeng
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. Electronic address: gongss@ccmu.edu.cn.
authors: Shusheng
authors: S
authors: Gong
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. Electronic address: cjr.wzhch@vip.163.com.
authors: Zhenchang
authors: Z
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D012146:Rest; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Functional connectivity; Neural plasticity; Pulsatile tinnitus; Resting-state fMRI