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Alteration of Resting-state Functional Connectivity in the Sensorimotor Network in Patients with Thalamic Infarction

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Abstract

Purpose

To explore changes in functional connectivity (FC) within the sensorimotor network (SMN) and the relationship between the SMN and bilateral thalamus in patients with thalamic infarction (TI) using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Also determined was whether those measures are useful for monitoring the functional recovery of somatosensory deficits.

Methods

The study included 31 patients with TI presenting somatosensory dysfunction and 31 controls who underwent clinical assessments and MRI scanning at 6 months after a stroke. An independent component analysis was used to identify the SMN. The mean time courses of SMN activity were extracted for each subject, and FC with the bilateral thalamus was assessed. Differences in connectivity strength were compared between groups. Finally, we correlated the altered FC values with clinical data from patients with TI.

Results

Compared to controls, patients with TI showed decreases in FC within SMN in the ipsilesional posterior central gyrus (PCG) (Z-score = −4.581, cluster size = 171), but presented increased FC within the SMN in the ipsilesional supplementary motor area (SMA) (Z-score = 4.648, cluster size = 46). The FC values of the ipsilesional SMA correlated with the somatosensory function score of patients with TI (r = 0.426, P = 0.027). Increased FC was observed between the SMN and bilateral thalamus in patients with TI. The region exhibiting increased FC was adjacent to the lesion in the affected thalamus, while the area with increased FC overlapped the location of the lesion when the lesion was mirrored onto the unaffected thalamus.

Conclusion

The increased FC in the ipsilesional SMA and between the SMN and perilesional thalamus might reflect functional reorganization in patients with TI presenting somatosensory deficits.

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Funding

This study was supported by Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2019YJ0380), Key project Sichuan Provincial Department of Education (18ZA0211), Nanchong Science and Technology Program (NSMC20170433) and the doctoral scientific funds of North Sichuan Medical College (CBY16-QD04).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, No. 63 Wenhua Road, 637000, Nanchong, China

    Miao He, Jiarui Song, Yang Li & Li Chen

  2. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    Tianyou Luo & Fajin Lv

  3. School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China

    Kangcheng Wang

Authors
  1. Miao He
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  2. Jiarui Song
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  3. Tianyou Luo
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  5. Yang Li
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  7. Li Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li Chen.

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Conflict of interest

M. He, J. Song, T. Luo, K. Wang, Y. Li, F. Lv and L. Chen declare that they have no competing interests.

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He, M., Song, J., Luo, T. et al. Alteration of Resting-state Functional Connectivity in the Sensorimotor Network in Patients with Thalamic Infarction. Clin Neuroradiol 31, 721–728 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-020-00966-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-020-00966-3

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