Resting-state brain function MRI study of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 based on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore functional brain region changes and their correlation with behavioral variables based on amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3).Methods:In this prospective study, patients with SCA3 and healthy controls (HC) were recruited by Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University from May 2017 to March 2022. All subjects completed the scale for assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA), the international cooperative ataxia rating scale-posture and gait (ICARS-p&g), the rapid verbal retrieval (RVR) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Meanwhile, the subjects underwent structural MRI and rs-fMRI scans. The MRI data were processed by DPABI software based on MATLAB. The normalized ALFF values of the two groups were compared using two-sample t-test, and the changes of ALFF values in the brain regions of SCA3 and HC groups were analyzed with the t-test of partial correlation coefficient. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the ALFF values of abnormal brain area and the score of neurobehavioral scale in SCA3. Results:Compared with HC group, ALFF significantly increased in the left cerebellum (Crus1, Crus2, 4_5, 6, 7b, 8, 9), right cerebelum_9, left fusiform gyrus and vermis_8; while ALFF significantly decreased in the vermis_4_5 in patients with SCA3. Correlation analysis showed that ALFF values in the left cerebellar_8 were negatively correlated with RVR scores ( r=-0.293, P=0.035), ALFF values in the left cerebellar_9 were negatively correlated with MoCA scores ( r=-0.324, P=0.019), ALFF values in the right cerebellar_9 were negatively correlated with RVR scores ( r=-0.401, P=0.003) in the SCA3 patients. ALFF in the vermis_8 was positively correlated with SARA scores ( r=0.308, P=0.026) and ICARS-p&g scores ( r=0.313, P=0.024) in the SCA3 patients. Conclusion:There are significant changes in ALFF values in the cerebellum and left fusiform gyrus in patients with SCA3, and the changes of ALFF values are closely related with communication, cognitive and movement disorders.