Altered Intra- and Inter-Network Functional Connectivity in Patients With Crohn’s Disease: An Independent Component Analysis-Based Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Abstract

BackgroundMany studies have reported changes in the structure and function of several brain areas in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). However, little is known about whether the possible functional connectivity of resting-state networks (RSNs) is altered in CD patients.PurposeAim to investigate the intra- and inter-network alterations between related RSNs in patients with CD and the potential relationships between altered neuroimaging and CD clinical indices.Materials and MethodsIn this study, 20 CD patients and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. We used independent component analysis (ICA) to explore the changes in RSNs and evaluated functional connectivity between different RSNs using functional network connectivity (FNC) analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed between altered intra- and inter-network functional connectivity and CD clinical index.ResultsSix CD-related RSNs were identified via ICA, namely the high visual, prime visual, language, dorsal default mode, posterior insula, and precuneus networks. Compared to healthy controls, patients with CD showed significant changes in prime visual and language networks. Additionally, the functional connectivity (FC) values of the left calcarine within the prime visual network were negatively correlated with CD duration. The inter-alterations showed that a significantly increased FNC existed between the language and dorsal default mode networks.ConclusionThe results showed CD-related changes in brain functional networks. This evidence provides more insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of brain plasticity in CD.

An examination of resting-state functional connectivity in patients with active Crohn’s disease

“…Our finding of alterations in rs-FC in the DMN has been widely reported in CD literature in remission and active disease ( Thomann et al, 2017 , 2021 ; Bao et al, 2018 ; Liu et al, 2018 ; Hou et al, 2019 ; Kornelsen et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2022 ; Goodyear et al, 2023 ). We show reduced rs-FC in the DMN in the parahippocampal gyrus (visuospatial processing and episodic memory) and cerebellum in active CD participants compared with HCs.…”

“…We show that greater disease duration was associated with greater rs-FC in the middle temporal gyrus (language and semantic memory processing) and planum temporale (auditory perception and attention) in the visual anterior RSN (IC2). Altered functional connectivity in regions in the visual network has been reported before ( Li et al, 2022 ), where reduced rs-FC in the left calcarine was associated with greater disease duration. We postulate that disease duration is one of the variables that to an extent affect disease burden which may be related to the changes seen in visual network due to the increased chronic exposure of the CNS to symptom and chronic inflammatory stimuli.…”

“…Notably, the majority of the rs-FC studies conducted thus far have been conducted in CD participants who are in remission, and until recently no published studies included participants in the active disease phase ( Huang et al, 2022 ; Kong et al, 2022 ; Li et al, 2022 ; Prüß et al, 2022 ; Agostini et al, 2023 ; Goodyear et al, 2023 ). Of these studies in the active phase, one study restricted their analysis to the anterior cingulate cortex ACC (part of the DMN) and showed rs-FC as well as structural and metabolic changes in active CD ( Kong et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Of these studies in the active phase, one study restricted their analysis to the anterior cingulate cortex ACC (part of the DMN) and showed rs-FC as well as structural and metabolic changes in active CD ( Kong et al, 2022 ). Decreased rs-FC in the left calcarine of the primary visual network ( Li et al, 2022 ) was found in active CD participants, with these changes associated with greater CD duration. Greater rs-FC in the somatosensory cortex in the SN in active IBD patients with chronic pain was found regardless of their inflammatory status relative to HCs ( Prüß et al, 2022 ).…”

Altered resting-state brain functional activities and networks in Crohn’s disease: a systematic review

“…Another study found increased FC between the frontoparietal (FP) network and the salience network (SN), and decreased FC between regions within the DMN ( Kornelsen et al, 2020 ). Li et al (2022) explored the abnormal FC of intra- and inter-brain networks in CD patients, and found increased FC of the language network with the left middle temporal gyrus and decreased FC of the prime visual network with the left calcarine. Agostini et al (2023) reported increased connectivity within the left FP network in inactive CD patients compared to active CD patients, decreased connectivity in the motor network in the active CD group compared to the HC group, and reduced connectivity in the motor network and in the language network in active CD patients compared to HCs.…”