Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, China.
Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, 225300, China.
Brain Imaging Behav. 2024 Oct;18(5):1131-1143. doi: 10.1007/s11682-024-00905-7. Epub 2024 Aug 22.
The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in gray matter structure among individuals diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study included a cohort of 32 diabetic patients with retinopathy (DR group, n = 32) and 38 healthy adults (HC group, n = 38). Both cohorts underwent comprehensive psychological and cognitive assessments alongside structural magnetic resonance imaging. The brain's gray matter volume and morphology were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Partial correlation analysis was employed to investigate the associations between differences in gray matter volume (GMV) across diverse brain regions and the outcomes of cognitive psychological tests as well as clinical indicators. The VBM results revealed that, in comparison to the healthy control (HC) group, patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) exhibited reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the right fusiform gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part, and left hippocampus; conversely, an increase in GMV was observed in the right thalamus. The SBM results indicated cortical thinning in the left caudal anterior cingulate cortex, left superior frontal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral lingual gyrus in the DR group. Sulcal depth (SD) exhibited increased values in the bilateral rostral middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, frontal pole, left precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal gyrus, and right paracentral gyrus. Local gyrification indices (LGIs) decreased in the left caudal middle frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. The fractal dimension (FD) decreased in the posterior cingulate gyrus and isthmus of the cingulate gyrus. The left hippocampal gray matter volume (GMV) in patients with diabetic retinopathy was negatively correlated with disease duration (r = -0.478, p = 0.008) and self-rating depression scale (SAS) score (r = -0.381, p = 0.038). The structural alterations in specific brain regions of individuals with DR, which may contribute to impairments in cognition, emotion, and behavior, provide valuable insights into the neurobiological basis underlying these dysfunctions.
本研究旨在探讨诊断为糖尿病视网膜病变（DR）的个体的灰质结构变化。这项研究纳入了 32 名糖尿病伴视网膜病变患者（DR 组，n=32）和 38 名健康成年人（HC 组，n=38）。两个队列都接受了全面的心理和认知评估以及结构磁共振成像。使用基于体素的形态测量学（VBM）和基于表面的形态测量学（SBM）分析大脑的灰质体积和形态。采用偏相关分析探讨了不同脑区灰质体积（GMV）差异与认知心理测试结果以及临床指标之间的相关性。VBM 结果显示，与健康对照组（HC）相比，糖尿病视网膜病变（DR）患者右侧梭状回、额下回眶部和左侧海马的灰质体积（GMV）减少，而右侧丘脑的 GMV 增加。SBM 结果表明，DR 组左侧后扣带回皮质、左侧额上回、左侧海马旁回以及双侧舌回皮质变薄。双侧额中回、额上回、额极、左侧中央前回、中央后回、外侧眶额回和右侧旁中央回的脑沟深度（SD）增加。左侧中额下回和额上回的局部脑回指数（LGI）降低。后扣带回和扣带回峡部的分形维数（FD）降低。糖尿病视网膜病变患者左侧海马灰质体积（GMV）与病程（r=-0.478，p=0.008）和自评抑郁量表（SAS）评分（r=-0.381，p=0.038）呈负相关。DR 患者特定脑区的结构改变可能导致认知、情绪和行为障碍，为这些功能障碍的神经生物学基础提供了有价值的见解。
