Altered spontaneous brain activity pattern in patients with late monocular blindness in middle-age using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a resting-state functional MRI study

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographics and clinical measurements of MB and HC groups

Conditions	MB	HC	z	P-valuea
Male/female	25/7	25/7	N/A	>0.99
Age (years)	42.47±12.10	47.28±12.68	0.034	0.973
Weight (kg)	59.72±7.87	58.72±6.45	0.379	0.704
Handedness	32 R	32 R	N/A	>0.99
Duration of MB (years)	22.78±7.81	N/A	N/A	N/A
Best-corrected VA-right	0.43±0.50	1.18±0.29	4.742	0.000
Best-corrected VA-left	0.49±0.50	1.15±0.28	4.857	0.000

Note:

a Mann–Whitney U-test comparing two groups (P<0.05 on behalf of significant differences). Data presented as mean ± standard deviation or n.

Abbreviations: MB, monocular blindness; HC, healthy control; N/A, not applicable; VA, visual acuity; R, right.

Table 2 Brain areas with significantly different ALFF values between groups

Conditions	L/R	Brain regions	BA	MNI coordinates			Cluster size	t-Value	P-value
				X	Y	Z
MBs < HCs
1	L	Cerebellum anterior lobe	–	−21	−39	33	57	−3.826	<0.001
2	R	Parahippocampal gyrus	36	18	−54	−21	45	−3.829	<0.001
3	R	Cuneus	18	18	−72	6	80	−4.023	<0.001
4	L	Precentral gyrus, paracentral lobule	4/6	−6	−24	75	56	−3.508	<0.001
MBs > HCs
1	R	Middle frontal gyrus	10	24	54	12	57	4.278	<0.001
2	L	Middle frontal gyrus	10	−39	33	45	112	3.817	<0.001
3	L	Supramarginal gyrus	40	−57	−42	33	50	3.923	<0.001

Notes: A P-value <0.05 was significantly different for multiple comparisons using Gaussian random field theory (z>2.3, P<0.01, cluster >40 voxels, AlphaSim corrected). “–” indicates the cerebellum anterior lobe did not belong to any Brodmann areas.

Abbreviations: ALFF, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; BA, Brodmann area; MB, monocular blindness; HCs, healthy controls; MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute; L, left; R, right.

Figure 1 Spontaneous brain activity in the monocular blindness and healthy control groups.

Notes: Significant brain activity differences were observed in the left cerebellum anterior lobe, right parahippocampal gyrus, right cuneus, left precentral gyrus, left paracentral lobule, right middle frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and left supramarginal gyrus. The red or yellow denotes higher ALFF values, and the blue areas indicate lower ALFF values, respectively (P<0.01 for multiple comparisons using Gaussian random field theory [z>2.3, P<0.01, cluster >40 voxels, AlphaSim corrected]).

Abbreviations: ALFF, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; L, left; R, right.

Figure 2 The mean values of altered ALFF values between the MB and HC groups.

Abbreviations: ALFF, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; HCs, healthy controls; MB, monocular blindness.

Figure 3 ROC curve analysis of the mean ALFF values for altered brain regions.

Notes: The areas under the ROC curve were 0.824 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.725–0.924) for the LCAL and cutoff point values −0.4835, sensitivity: 0.813, specificity: 0.687; 0.796 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.687–0.905) for the RPPG and cutoff point values −0.166, sensitivity: 0.813, specificity: 0.719; 0.731 (P=0.001; 95% CI: 0.608–0.855) for the RC and cutoff point values −0.1590, sensitivity: 0.5, specificity: 0.906; 0.784 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.671–0.897) for the LPG/LPL and cutoff point values 0.467, sensitivity: 0.75, specificity: 0.719 (MBs > HCs) (A). The areas under the ROC curve were 0.791 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.681–0.901) for the RMFG and cutoff point values 0.467, sensitivity: 0.813, specificity: 0.656; 0.868 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.777–0.959) for the LMFG and cutoff point values 0.236, sensitivity: 0.844, specificity: 0.875; 0.819 (P<0.001; 95% CI: 0.715–0.924) for the LSG and cutoff point values 0.061, sensitivity: 0.875, specificity: 0.656 (MBs < HCs) (B).
Abbreviations: ROC, receiver operating characteristic; ALFF, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; CI, confidence interval; HCs, healthy controls; LCAL, left cerebellum anterior lobe; RPPG, right parahippocampal gyrus; RC, right cuneus; LPG, left precentral gyrus; LPL, left paracentral lobule; RMFG, right middle frontal gyrus; LMFG, left middle frontal gyrus; LSG, left supramarginal gyrus; AUC, area under the curve.