Kong Chengcheng, Xu Dong, Wang Yichuan, Wang Bing, Wen Jianjie, Wang Xinguang, Zhan Linlin, Sun Zhaogang, Jia Xize, Li Mengting, Tang Shenjie, Hou Dailun
Translational Medicine Center, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Department of Radiology, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2022 Aug;12(8):4120-4134. doi: 10.21037/qims-22-17.
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is widely used to study brain functional alteration, but there have been no reports of research regarding the application of rs-fMRI in intracranial tuberculosis. The purpose of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to investigate spontaneous neural activity at different frequency bands in patients with intracranial tuberculosis using rs-fMRI with amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) methods.
The rs-fMRI data of 31 patients with intracranial tuberculosis and 30 gender-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. The ALFF and fALFF values in the conventional frequency band (0.01-0.08 Hz) and 2 sub-frequency bands (slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz; slow-5: 0.01-0.027 Hz) were calculated and compared between the groups. The resultant T-maps were corrected using the Gaussian random field (GRF) theory (voxel P<0.01, cluster P<0.05). Correlations between the ALFF and fALFF values and neurocognitive scores were assessed.
Compared with the HCs, patients with intracranial tuberculosis showed decreased ALFF in the right paracentral lobule (T=-4.69) in the conventional frequency band, in the right supplementary motor area (T=-4.85) in the slow-4 band, and in the left supplementary motor area (T=-3.76) in the slow-5 band. Compared to the slow-5 band, the voxels with decreased ALFF were spatially more extensive in the slow-4 band. Compared with HCs, patients with intracranial tuberculosis showed decreased fALFF in the opercular parts of the right inferior frontal gyrus (T=-4.50) and the left inferior parietal lobe (T=-4.86) and increased fALFF in the left inferior cerebellum (T=5.84) in the conventional frequency band. In the slow-4 band, fALFF decreased in the opercular parts of the right inferior frontal gyrus (T=-5.29) and right precuneus (T=-4.34). In the slow-5 band, fALFF decreased in the left middle occipital gyrus (T=-4.65) and right middle frontal gyrus (T=-5.05).
Patients with intracranial tuberculosis showed abnormal intrinsic brain activity at different frequency bands, and ALFF abnormalities in different brain regions could be better detected in the slow-4 band. This preliminary study might provide new insights into understanding the pathophysiological mechanism in intracranial tuberculosis.
静息态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）被广泛用于研究脑功能改变，但尚无关于rs-fMRI在颅内结核应用的研究报道。这项前瞻性横断面研究的目的是使用rs-fMRI的低频振幅（ALFF）和分数ALFF（fALFF）方法，研究颅内结核患者不同频段的自发神经活动。
纳入31例颅内结核患者和30例性别、年龄、教育程度匹配的健康对照（HCs）的rs-fMRI数据。计算并比较两组在传统频段（0.01-0.08Hz）和2个亚频段（慢4：0.027-0.073Hz；慢5：0.01-0.027Hz）的ALFF和fALFF值。使用高斯随机场（GRF）理论（体素P<0.01，簇P<0.05）对所得T图进行校正。评估ALFF和fALFF值与神经认知评分之间的相关性。
与HCs相比，颅内结核患者在传统频段右侧中央旁小叶（T=-4.69）、慢4频段右侧辅助运动区（T=-4.85）和慢5频段左侧辅助运动区（T=-3.76）的ALFF降低。与慢5频段相比，ALFF降低的体素在慢4频段的空间范围更广。与HCs相比，颅内结核患者在传统频段右侧额下回岛盖部（T=-4.50）和左侧顶下小叶（T=-4.86）的fALFF降低，而左侧小脑下部（T=5.84）的fALFF升高。在慢4频段，右侧额下回岛盖部（T=-5.29）和右侧楔前叶（T=-4.34）的fALFF降低。在慢5频段，左侧枕中回（T=-4.65）和右侧额中回（T=-5.05）的fALFF降低。
颅内结核患者在不同频段表现出异常的脑内在活动，并且在慢4频段能更好地检测到不同脑区的ALFF异常。这项初步研究可能为理解颅内结核的病理生理机制提供新的见解。
