Altered brain activity in patients with strabismus and amblyopia detected by analysis of regional homogeneity: A�resting‑state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that strabismus or amblyopia can result in marked brain function and anatomical alterations. However, differences in spontaneous brain activity in strabismus and amblyopia (SA) patients as compared with control individuals remain unclear. The present study aimed to analyze the potential brain activity changes in SA patients and their association with behavioral performance. In total, 16 patients with SA (10 women and 6 men) and 16 healthy controls (HCs; 6 men and 10 women) with matched age and sex were recruited. All subjects were examined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and changes in the spontaneous brain activity of SA patients were evaluated by the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method. The diagnostic ability of the ReHo method was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In addition, the association between the mean ReHo value in different brain regions and the behavioral performance was explored by correlation analysis. It was observed that the ReHo value was significantly increased in SA patients compared with HCs in the following brain regions: left lingual gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus/precuneus, bilateral anterior cingulate, left middle occipital gyrus and bilateral precentral gyrus. By contrast, the ReHo value of the left inferior frontal gyrus was significantly lower than that in HCs. ROC curve analysis indicated that the ReHo method has certain credibility for the diagnosis of SA patients. In addition, no similar changes were detected in other brain regions. These results revealed abnormal spontaneous brain activity in certain parts of the brain in adult patients with SA, which suggests the involvement of the neuropathological or compensatory mechanism in these patients, and may be beneficial for clinical treatment.

Analysis of the potential impact of strabismus with and without amblyopia on visual-perceptual and visual-motor skills evaluated using TVPS-3 and VMI-6 tests

“…In patients with strabismus and amblyopia, changes have not only been seen in first-(luminance-based) and second-order (texture-based) processing of visual information 13 but also at deeper cortical levels. 14 Differences found in brain activity patterns, 15 , 16 cortical thickness, 17 and functional connectivity 18 relate strabismus with changes in the white and gray matter, depending on its type and time of appearance. 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 More specifically, in the visual cortex, increased brain activity has been found in the lingual gyrus, which processes information such as shape, size, color, contour, and object recognition—all the essential elements for visual judgment and visual attention.…”

Altered Brain Network Centrality in Patients with Adult Strabismus with Amblyopia: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

“…rs-fMRI has been used in the histological and pathological studies of central nervous system diseases and related brain functional diseases, which greatly expands the scope of imaging. fMRI includes blood oxygenation level-dependent imaging (BOLD), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and magnetic resonance spectrum analysis [ 16 ]. BOLD-fMRI technology can be used to observe the hemodynamic effects of changes in neural activity in specific brain regions.…”

“…BOLD-fMRI technology can be used to observe the hemodynamic effects of changes in neural activity in specific brain regions. Activity causes increased blood flow in corresponding functional areas, which leads to higher local oxyhemoglobin levels compared with other areas, and this reflects regional activity [ 16 , 17 ]. DTI can noninvasively assess the neural fiber structures of the brain by observing the movement route and density of water molecules in the tissue.…”

Abnormal Regional Spontaneous Neural Activity in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study

“…Using an optimized voxel-based morphometry, Chen et al [ 23 ] found that primary open-angle glaucoma might lead to significant reduction of gray matter volume in bilateral visual cortex. By analyzing changes in the brain activity, Shao et al [ 24 ] found abnormal ReHo levels in the middle occipital gyrus and the lingual gyrus in patients with strabismus and amblyopia. In addition, Aguirregomozcorta et al [ 7 ] investigated cortical reorganization in 9 patients with NAION using task-based fMRI.…”

“…Several neuroimaging studies focusing on ocular diseases have successfully applied ROC analyses to discriminate those with ocular disease from NCs [ 11 , 22 , 24 , 49 , 50 ]. According to these studies, the ability to discriminate conditions are considered excellent, moderate, fair, and failed when AUC values are 0.9–1, 0.7–09, 0.5–0.7, and less than 0.5, respectively [ 22 , 24 , 50 ]. The present study found that the brain regions with abnormal ReHo values consistently showed a high degree of sensitivity and specificity with higher AUC values.…”