Abnormal functional connectivity of the cores that control rapid eye movement sleep in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) between the cores (including sublaterodorsal nucleus (SLD) and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter (vlPAG)) and the whole brain in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rfMRI).Methods A total of 41 subjects recruited in the Department of Neurology,the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University were enrolled in this study according to international diagnosis criteria,including 20 with idiopathic RBD (iRBD group) and 21 age,sex-matched normal controls (control group).All subjects were examined by Hoehn-Yahr Staging,cognitive tests and rfMRI.Resluts HoehnYahr staging score was 0(0,0) in the iRBD group,which showed no significant difference from that in the control group (0 (0,0),Z =-1.820,P =0.069).The scores of Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) N1,AVLT N2,Symbol Digital Modalities Test,Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test-Copy were 3.80 ± 1.67,5.10 ± 1.77,33.00(31.25,34.00) and 22.00(20.25,26.00) respectively in the iRBD group,which were significantly lower than that in the control group (4.95 ± 1.28,t =2.482,P =0.017;6.43±1.16,t =2.848,P=0.007;33.00(29.50,35.50),Z=-3.792,P=0.000;35.00(33.00,36.00),Z =-2.351,P =0.019) respectively.The scores of Trail Making Test 1 (86.5 (70.0,100.0))and Trail Making Test 2 (197.0(180.5,211.5)) in the iRBD group were significantly higher than that in the control group (66.0(49.0,91.5),112.0(99.5,173.0) respectively,Z=-2.373,P=0.018;Z =-3.105,P =0.002).Compared with the control group,the FC analysis showed reduced connections from the right SLD to the bilateral cingnlate gyrus (t =-4.173) and bilateral frontal gyrus (t =-2.965(left),-3.662(right)),from the vlPAG to the left precentral-postcentral gyrus(t =3.930),and from the vlPAG to the right frontal gyrus (t =4.141) in the iRBD.There was no statistically significant difference from the left SLD to the whole brain.Conclusion There were abnormal FCs from the SLD and vlPAG to cognitive and motor areas in RBD patients,perhaps leading to clinical RBD symptoms such as cognitive deterioration and movement disorder.