运动皮层功能连接与 ALS 的基础神经化学有关。

Motor cortex functional connectivity is associated with underlying neurochemistry in ALS.

机构信息

Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

出版信息

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 Mar;94(3):193-200. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-329993. Epub 2022 Nov 15.

DOI:10.1136/jnnp-2022-329993

PMID:36379713

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9985743/

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To identify structural and neurochemical properties that underlie functional connectivity impairments of the primary motor cortex (PMC) and how these relate to clinical findings in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

METHODS

52 patients with ALS and 52 healthy controls, matched for age and sex, were enrolled from 5 centres across Canada for the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium study. Resting-state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired. Functional connectivity maps, diffusion metrics and neurometabolite ratios were obtained from the analyses of the acquired multimodal data. A clinical assessment of foot tapping (frequency) was performed to examine upper motor neuron function in all participants.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, the primary motor cortex in ALS showed reduced functional connectivity with sensory (T=5.21), frontal (T=3.70), temporal (T=3.80), putaminal (T=4.03) and adjacent motor (T=4.60) regions. In the primary motor cortex, N-acetyl aspartate (NAA, a neuronal marker) ratios and diffusion metrics (mean, axial and radial diffusivity, fractional anisotropy (FA)) were altered. Within the ALS cohort, foot tapping frequency correlated with NAA (r=0.347) and white matter FA (r=0.537). NAA levels showed associations with disturbed functional connectivity of the motor cortex.

CONCLUSION

neurochemistry may represent an effective imaging marker of impaired motor cortex functional connectivity in ALS.

摘要

目的

确定原发性运动皮层（PMC）功能连接损伤的结构和神经化学基础，以及这些损伤与肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）临床发现的关系。

方法

从加拿大 5 个中心招募了 52 名 ALS 患者和 52 名年龄和性别匹配的健康对照者参加加拿大 ALS 神经影像学联合会研究。采集静息态功能磁共振成像、弥散张量成像和磁共振波谱数据。从获得的多模态数据分析中获得功能连接图、弥散指标和神经代谢物比值。对所有参与者进行了脚部敲击（频率）的临床评估，以检查上运动神经元功能。

结果

与健康对照组相比，ALS 患者的初级运动皮层与感觉（T=5.21）、额叶（T=3.70）、颞叶（T=3.80）、壳核（T=4.03）和相邻运动皮层（T=4.60）区域的功能连接减少。在初级运动皮层中，N-乙酰天冬氨酸（NAA，神经元标志物）比值和弥散指标（平均、轴向和径向弥散度、各向异性分数（FA））发生改变。在 ALS 队列中，脚部敲击频率与 NAA（r=0.347）和白质 FA（r=0.537）相关。NAA 水平与运动皮层功能连接障碍有关。