Abnormal Structural-Functional Coupling and MRI Alterations of Brain Network Topology in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) can cause structural and functional brain reconstruction. There is a lack of knowledge about the consistency between structural-functional (S-F) connection networks in PSP, despite growing evidence of anomalies in various single brain network parameters.

Purpose: To study the changes in the structural and functional networks of PSP, network's topological properties including degree, and the consistency of S-F coupling. The relationship with clinical scales was examined including the assessment of PSP severity, and so on.

Study type: Retrospective.

Subjects: A total of 51 PSP patients (70.04 ± 7.46, 25 females) and 101 healthy controls (64.58 ± 8.84, 58 females).

Field strength/sequence: 3-T, resting-state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and T1-weighted images.

Assessment: A graph-theoretic approach was used to evaluate structural and functional network topology metrics. We used the S-F coupling changes to explore the consistency of structural and functional networks.

Statistical tests: Independent samples t tests were employed for continuous variables, χ² tests were used for categorical variables. For network analysis, two-sample t tests was used and implied an false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlations. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: PSP showed variations within and between modules. Specifically, PSP had decreased network properties changes (t = -2.0136; t = 2.5409; t = -2.5338; t = -2.4296; t = -2.5338; t = 2.8079). PSP showed a lower coupling in the thalamus and left putamen and a higher coupling in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, and ventral attention network. S-F coupling was related to the number of network connections (r = 0.32, r = 0.22) and information transmission efficiency (r = 0.55, r = 0.28). S-F coupling was related to basic academic ability (r = 0.39) and disinhibition (r = 0.49).

Data conclusion: PSP may show abnormal S-F coupling and intramodular and intermodular connectome in the structural and functional networks.

Level of evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.