The following is a summary of “Multilayer network analysis in patients with end-stage kidney disease,” published in the December 2024 issue of Nephrology by Yi et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine changes in a multilayer network, integrating structural and functional layers, in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) vs healthy controls.
They enrolled 38 patients with ESKD and 43 healthy controls, all with normal brain MRI. Participants underwent T1-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) using a 3-tesla MRI scanner, and structural and functional connectivity matrices were generated using DTI, DSI, and rs-fMRI programs. Multilayer network analysis was performed using BRAPH.
The results showed significant differences in the global multilayer network between patients with ESKD and healthy controls. Weighted multiplex participation was lower in patients with ESKD (0.6454 vs 0.7212, adjusted P = 0.049), with lower participation in the right subcentral gyrus, right opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, right occipitotemporal medial lingual gyrus, and right postcentral gyrus (0.6704 vs 0.8562, 0.8593 vs 0.9388, 0.7778 vs 0.8849, 0.6825 vs 0.8112; adjusted P < 0.05).
Investigators found that the multilayer network in patients with ESKD differed from healthy controls, indicating disrupted brain communication.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-024-80645-2
