Whole-Brain Connectivity in a Large Study of Huntington's Disease Gene Mutation Carriers and Healthy Controls

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Flor A. Espinoza - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (Autor:in)
  • Jessica A. Turner - , Georgia Institute of Technology (Autor:in)
  • Victor M. Vergara - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (Autor:in)
  • Robyn L. Miller - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (Autor:in)
  • Eva Mennigen - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (Autor:in)
  • Jingyu Liu - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute (Autor:in)
  • Maria B. Misiura - , Georgia Institute of Technology (Autor:in)
  • Jennifer Ciarochi - , Georgia Institute of Technology (Autor:in)
  • Hans J. Johnson - , University of Iowa (Autor:in)
  • Jeffrey D. Long - , University of Iowa (Autor:in)
  • Henry J. Bockholt - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, University of Iowa (Autor:in)
  • Vincent A. Magnotta - , University of Iowa (Autor:in)
  • Jane S. Paulsen - , University of Iowa (Autor:in)
  • Vince D. Calhoun - , Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Eastern New Mexico University (Autor:in)

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited brain disorder characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunctions. It is caused by abnormally large trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat expansions on exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene. CAG repeat length (CAG-RL) inversely correlates with an earlier age of onset. Region-based studies have shown that HD gene mutation carrier (HDgmc) individuals (CAG-RL >= 36) present functional connectivity alterations in subcortical (SC) and default mode networks. In this analysis, we expand on previous HD studies by investigating associations between CAG-RL and connectivity in the whole brain, as well as between CAG-dependent connectivity and motor and cognitive performances. We used group-independent component analysis on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of 261 individuals (183 HDgmc and 78 healthy controls) from the PREDICT-HD study, to obtain whole-brain resting state networks (RSNs). Regression analysis was applied within and between RSNs connectivity (functional network connectivity [FNC]) to identify CAG-RL associations. Connectivity within the putamen RSN is negatively correlated with CAG-RL. The FNC between putamen and insula decreases with increasing CAG-RL, and also shows significant associations with motor and cognitive measures. The FNC between calcarine and middle frontal gyri increased with CAG-RL. In contrast, FNC in other visual (VIS) networks declined with increasing CAG-RL. In addition to observed effects in SC areas known to be related to HD, our study identifies a strong presence of alterations in VIS regions less commonly observed in previous reports and provides a step forward in understanding FNC dysfunction in HDgmc.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)166-178
Seitenumfang13
FachzeitschriftBrain connectivity
Jahrgang8
Ausgabenummer3
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Apr. 2018
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 29291624
Scopus 85044666914
ORCID /0000-0001-5099-0274/work/142249097

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • CAG repeat length, Group-independent component analysis, prodromal Huntington's disease, resting-state fMRI, Within- and between-networks functional connectivity