The following is a summary of “Analyzing the topological properties of resting-state brain function network connectivity based on graph theoretical methods in patients with high myopia,” published in the July 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Wei et al.
Imaging studies reveal significant brain connectivity abnormalities in patients with high myopia (HM), but research on functional network topology and connectivity changes is lacking.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring the topological structure and regional connectivity of brain function networks in patients with HM using graph theoretical analysis.
They performed rs-fMRI scans on 82 patients with HM and 59 HCs, ensuring age and education level were matched between groups. The graph theoretical analysis was utilized to examine the topological structure of whole-brain functional networks, investigating the topological properties and differences between the 2 groups.
The result showed that both groups exhibited a small-world architecture in brain networks within the 0.05 to 0.50 sparsity range. Compared to the control group, patients with HM had significantly reduced values for the normalized clustering coefficient (γ) (P=0.0101) and small-worldness (σ) (P=0.0168). Additionally, the HM group displayed lower nodal centrality in the right amygdala (P<0.001, Bonferroni-corrected). The HM group also showed increased functional connectivity (FC) between the salience network (SN) and the sensorimotor network (SMN), while FC strength between the basal ganglia was relatively weaker (P<0.01).
Investigators concluded that patients with HM exhibit reduced small-world properties and topological disruptions in the amygdala, with abnormal functional connectivity between key brain networks, suggesting a novel mechanism for central pathology in HM.
Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-024-03592-6
