Tian Lu, Zeng Yan, Zheng Helin, Cai Jinhua
Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Metabolism and Inflammatory Diseases, Chongqing 400014, China.
Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Metabolism and Inflammatory Diseases, Chongqing 400014, China.
Children (Basel). 2025 Apr 27;12(5):565. doi: 10.3390/children12050565.
This study aimed to investigate changes in brain functional connectivity (FC) and topological structure in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) using complex network theory analysis.
Resting-state fMRI data from 53 ICPP girls (ages 6-8) and 51 controls were analysed. Graph theory was used to construct whole-brain functional networks, identify topological differences, and assess the relationship between sex hormone levels and network properties in regions with group differences.
RS-FC analysis revealed reduced connectivity in cognitive and emotional regulation regions in the ICPP group ( < 0.05), but enhanced connectivity in emotional perception and self-regulation areas, such as the amygdala and insula ( < 0.05), suggesting a compensatory mechanism. Graph theory showed that ICPP girls' brain networks maintained small-world properties (γ > 1, λ ≈ 1, σ > 1). Local topological changes included decreased clustering and node efficiency in cognitive and emotional regulation regions, like the superior frontal gyrus and praecuneus ( < 0.05), while emotional regulation regions (amygdala, insula) showed increased clustering and node efficiency ( < 0.05), indicating compensation.
This study highlights compensatory mechanisms in emotional regulation that may offset impairments in cognitive regions, offering new insights into ICPP's neural mechanisms.
本研究旨在运用复杂网络理论分析方法，探究特发性中枢性性早熟（ICPP）女童脑功能连接（FC）及拓扑结构的变化。
对53名ICPP女童（年龄6 - 8岁）和51名对照者的静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）数据进行分析。采用图论构建全脑功能网络，识别拓扑差异，并评估性激素水平与存在组间差异区域的网络属性之间的关系。
静息态功能连接（RS - FC）分析显示，ICPP组认知和情绪调节区域的连接性降低（<0.05），但杏仁核和脑岛等情绪感知和自我调节区域的连接性增强（<0.05），提示存在一种代偿机制。图论表明，ICPP女童的脑网络保持小世界属性（γ>1，λ≈1，σ>1）。局部拓扑变化包括认知和情绪调节区域（如额上回和楔前叶）的聚类系数和节点效率降低（<0.05），而情绪调节区域（杏仁核、脑岛）的聚类系数和节点效率增加（<0.05），表明存在代偿。
本研究突出了情绪调节中的代偿机制，该机制可能抵消认知区域的损伤，为ICPP的神经机制提供了新的见解。
