ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the differences of cerebral activation pattern with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) between patients with spasmodic torticollis (ST) and healthy controls,thus to investigate the pathogenesis of ST.Methods Nineteen ST patients and 21 age,sex and education-matched healthy controls,recruited from the Department of Neurology,First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between November 2012 and January 2016,were included in this study.rs-fMRI and factional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) were used to obtain differences between patients with ST and healthy controls,and correlative analysis was made on fALFF values of abnormal brain regions and ST patients' symptom severity (Tsui scores).Results Compared with healthy controls,patients with ST had significantly increased fALFF in the left cerebellum and significantly decreased fALFF in the left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus,right posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus,left middle temporal gyrus,right angular gyrus,left post-central gyrus,right supplementary motor area (t =-5.714-5.920,P ＜0.01),and abnormal brain regions' fALFF values had no correlation with patients' age of onset,disease course,symptom severity (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Abnormal sensorimotor area,default mode network and cerebellum dysfunction may play a role in the pathophysiology of ST.