TY - JOUR
T1 - Graph analysis based on SCN reveals novel neuroanatomical targets related to tinnitus distress
AU - Lu, Yawen
AU - Yang, Yifeng
AU - Yan, Meijing
AU - Sun, Lianxi
AU - Fu, Caixia
AU - Zhang, Jianwei
AU - Liu, Yuehong
AU - Li, Kefeng
AU - Han, Zhao
AU - Lin, Guangwu
AU - Li, Shihong
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2025 Lu, Yang, Yan, Sun, Fu, Zhang, Liu, Li, Han, Lin and Li.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Purpose: Tinnitus is considered a neurological disorder affecting both auditory and nonauditory networks. This study aimed to investigate the structural brain covariance network in tinnitus patients and analyze its altered topological properties. Materials: Fifty three primary tinnitus patients and 67 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Gray matter volume (GMV) of each participant was extracted using voxel-based morphometry, a group-level structural covariance network (SCN) was constructed based on the GMV of each participant, and graph theoretic analyses were performed using graph analysis toolbox (GAT). The differences in the topological properties of SCN between both groups were compared and analyzed. Results: Both groups exhibited small-world attributes. Compared with HCs, tinnitus patients had significantly higher characteristic path length, lambda, transitivity, and assortativity (p < 0.05), and significantly lower global efficiency (p < 0.05). Tinnitus patients had higher clustering coefficient and reduced gamma and modularity, but neither was remarkable. The hubs in tinnitus network focused on the temporal lobe. In addition, the tinnitus network was found to be reduced in robustness to targeted attacks compared with HCs. Besides, a significant negative correlation between Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score and GMV in the left angular gyrus (r = −0.283, p = 0.040) as well as left superior temporal pole (r = −0.282, p = 0.041) were identified. Conclusion: Tinnitus patients showed reduced small-world properties, altered hub nodes, and reduced ability to respond to targeted attacks in brain network. The GMV in the left angular gyrus and left superior temporal pole showed significant negative correlation with tinnitus distress (THI score), indicating potential therapeutic target.
AB - Purpose: Tinnitus is considered a neurological disorder affecting both auditory and nonauditory networks. This study aimed to investigate the structural brain covariance network in tinnitus patients and analyze its altered topological properties. Materials: Fifty three primary tinnitus patients and 67 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Gray matter volume (GMV) of each participant was extracted using voxel-based morphometry, a group-level structural covariance network (SCN) was constructed based on the GMV of each participant, and graph theoretic analyses were performed using graph analysis toolbox (GAT). The differences in the topological properties of SCN between both groups were compared and analyzed. Results: Both groups exhibited small-world attributes. Compared with HCs, tinnitus patients had significantly higher characteristic path length, lambda, transitivity, and assortativity (p < 0.05), and significantly lower global efficiency (p < 0.05). Tinnitus patients had higher clustering coefficient and reduced gamma and modularity, but neither was remarkable. The hubs in tinnitus network focused on the temporal lobe. In addition, the tinnitus network was found to be reduced in robustness to targeted attacks compared with HCs. Besides, a significant negative correlation between Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score and GMV in the left angular gyrus (r = −0.283, p = 0.040) as well as left superior temporal pole (r = −0.282, p = 0.041) were identified. Conclusion: Tinnitus patients showed reduced small-world properties, altered hub nodes, and reduced ability to respond to targeted attacks in brain network. The GMV in the left angular gyrus and left superior temporal pole showed significant negative correlation with tinnitus distress (THI score), indicating potential therapeutic target.
KW - graph theoretic analysis
KW - gray matter volumes
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - structural covariance network
KW - tinnitus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85215527098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnins.2024.1417032
DO - 10.3389/fnins.2024.1417032
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85215527098
SN - 1662-4548
VL - 18
JO - Frontiers in Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Neuroscience
M1 - 1417032
ER -