fMRI resting state networks visualization in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

According to the literature, fMRI analysis at resting state (RS) is an informative methodological approach to the study of the basic level of a healthy and diseased brain’s functional activity. Averaging data over observation groups for various forms of cerebral pathology is often unacceptable. Previously, we mastered and applied the Independent Component Algorithm (ICA) in FSL software to visualize and analyze individual fMRI resting networks of healthy people.

Objective: to analyze individual fMRI resting networks associated with the state of motor activity and consciousness in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI).

Materials and methods. Observation groups: 23 patients with SТBI (main) and 17 healthy volunteers (control). 3T fMRI recorded at rest. Individual (norm and STBI) and group (norm) analysis of RS networks was carried out by FSL software (ICA algorithm) and SPM8 in MATLAB.
For the DMN and Sensorimotor networks, topography and total volume and intensity of their activation of their activation were determined.

Results. The topography features reproduced in the group and individual analysis of fMRI of healthy people, as well as the averaged quantitative indicators of the rest networks were used as reference for pathology.
In the context of motor activity, the RS Sensorimotor network was considered. Its topography is close to normal in most patients without or with mild hemiparesis. The growth of this defect is accompanied by a decrease in the integral quantitative indicators of the network, combined with asymmetric reduction (lack of activation in the contralateral motor cortex) in rough hemiparesis.
In the context of consciousness, the expression and characteristics of the DMN network were compared in healthy people and in patients with STBI at its various levels: from clear to chronic vegetative state. It was revealed that a decrease in the level of consciousness is accompanied by a reduction in the cortical components of DMN, primarily the frontal (anterior DMN), not pronounced in the vegetative state. Activation of the caudal component of DMN (in particular, the posterior cingular cortex) persists in patients with depressed consciousness: distinct and even somewhat enhanced compared to the norm with its reversible form, less pronounced with chronic

Conclusion. The data obtained indicate the informative value of fMRI analysis of individual resting networks in the context of studying cerebral structural and functional foundations of consciousness and motor activity, as well as diagnosing the state of these functions in STBI.

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