脑白质病变患者脑结构网络小世界属性与认知功能障碍关系的弥散张量成像研究

Relationship between Small-world Network and Cognitive Impairment for Patients with White Matter Lesions Based On Diffusion Tensor Imaging

目的明确脑白质病变(WMLs)患者脑结构网络小世界网络属性与认知功能障碍的关系。方法收集北京天坛医院2016年1月至2017年12月门诊WMLs患者46例(患者组)和年龄、性别、受教育程度相匹配的志愿者36例(对照组)。根据认知功能评定量表结果将患者分为血管性认知功能障碍非痴呆(VCIND)组和血管性痴呆(VaD)组。所有被试接受弥散张量成像(DTI),构建脑结构网络,计算脑结构网络全脑小世界拓扑属性,探讨脑结构网络异常与认知障碍严重程度的相关性。结果所有被试全脑结构网络均具有小世界属性。与对照组相比,患者组脑网络全局效率、局部效率、最短路径长度、聚集效率均发生改变(F>3.252,P<0.05),小世界属性值λ、γ和σ有高度显著性差异(F>7.378,P<0.01)。小世界属性值与蒙特利尔认知评定量表评分呈正相关(|r|>0.402,P<0.05)。结论WMLs患者脑结构网络具有小世界属性,网络的小世界属性降低与认知功能减低相关。

Objective To explore the relationship between small-worldness of brain network and cognitive impairment in patients with white matter lesions(WMLs)based on diffusion tensor imaging(DTI).Methods From January,2016 to December,2017,46 WMLs patients and 36 controls matched genders,ages and education levels from Beijing Tiantan Hospital were screened with DTI.The patients were divided into vascular cognitive impairment non-dementia(VCIND)and vascular dementia(VaD)groups according to the results of cognitive assessments.The brain structure network was created based on DTI data,and the topological properties of the whole-brain small-world network were calculated,and the correlation between the small-worldness and the severity of cognitive impairment was analyzed.Results The global efficiency,local efficiency,shortest path length and clustering coefficient were different between the patients and the controls(F>3.252,P<0.05),as well as the properties of the small-world network,λ,γandσ(F>7.378,P<0.01).Theλ,γandσwere correlated with the total score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment(|r|>0.402,P<0.05).Conclusion The brain structure network is small-world network for patients with WMLs,and the decrease of smallworld properties may relate to the cognitive impairment.