Correlation between abnormal thalamic functional connectivity and memory decline in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

【Objective】 To explore the correlation between abnormal thalamic functional connectivity (FC) and memory loss in maintenance hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). 【Methods】 An auditory verbal learning test (AVLT-H) was conducted on 22 patients with ESRD and 28 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HC) to evaluate memory function. After that, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were gathered, and a whole-brain FC analysis centered on the thalamus was executed to discern variations in thalamic FC between the two groups. Finally, Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were carried out. 【Results】 Compared to the HC group, the ESRD group exhibited notably lower scores in IR-S (P=0.002), SR-S (P<0.001), and LR-S (P=0.005). Concurrently, the ESRD group demonstrated diminished FC of the right thalamus with the left superior frontal gyrus, the left parietal lobule, the right suproccipital gyrus, the right anterior cuneus, and the right middle frontal gyrus (P<0.05, TFCE correction). Additionally, reduced FC were observed between the left thalamus and the left gyrus rectus, the left parietal lobule, and the right parietal lobule in the ESRD group (P<0.05, TFCE correction). Moreover, the FC values between the left thalamus and the left gyrus rectus in the ESRD group displayed significant negative correlations with IR-S (r=-0.499), SR-S (r=-0.458), and LR-S (r=-0.455) (all P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Memory impairment is evident in ESRD patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, and it appears to be intricately linked to anomalous FC within the left thalamus and the left gyrus rectus. These findings offer potential imaging markers for monitoring memory dysfunction in individuals with ESRD.