Hejazi Sara, Karwowski Waldemar, Farahani Farzad V, Marek Tadeusz, Hancock P A
Computational Neuroergonomics Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Brain Sci. 2023 Jan 31;13(2):246. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13020246.
(1) Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune system disease in which myelin in the nervous system is affected. This abnormal immune system mechanism causes physical disabilities and cognitive impairment. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a common neuroimaging technique used in studying MS. Computational methods have recently been applied for disease detection, notably graph theory, which helps researchers understand the entire brain network and functional connectivity. (2) Methods: Relevant databases were searched to identify articles published since 2000 that applied graph theory to study functional brain connectivity in patients with MS based on fMRI. (3) Results: A total of 24 articles were included in the review. In recent years, the application of graph theory in the MS field received increased attention from computational scientists. The graph-theoretical approach was frequently combined with fMRI in studies of functional brain connectivity in MS. Lower EDSSs of MS stage were the criteria for most of the studies (4) Conclusions: This review provides insights into the role of graph theory as a computational method for studying functional brain connectivity in MS. Graph theory is useful in the detection and prediction of MS and can play a significant role in identifying cognitive impairment associated with MS.
（1）背景：多发性硬化症（MS）是一种影响神经系统中髓鞘的免疫系统疾病。这种异常的免疫系统机制会导致身体残疾和认知障碍。功能磁共振成像（fMRI）是研究MS常用的神经成像技术。计算方法最近已应用于疾病检测，特别是图论，它有助于研究人员了解整个脑网络和功能连接性。（2）方法：检索相关数据库，以识别自2000年以来发表的基于fMRI应用图论研究MS患者脑功能连接性的文章。（3）结果：本综述共纳入24篇文章。近年来，图论在MS领域的应用受到计算科学家越来越多的关注。在MS脑功能连接性研究中，图论方法经常与fMRI相结合。大多数研究以较低的MS阶段扩展残疾状态量表（EDSS）为标准。（4）结论：本综述深入探讨了图论作为一种计算方法在研究MS脑功能连接性方面的作用。图论在MS的检测和预测中有用，并且在识别与MS相关的认知障碍方面可发挥重要作用。
