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• Clinical Article •
A study on differences of regional homogeneity on brain function between cerebral small vessel disease patients with and without cognitive impairment
WANG Wenwen  HUANG Jing  CHENG Runtian  LIU Xiaoshuang  LUO Tianyou 

Cite this article as: WANG W W, HUANG J, CHENG R T, et al. A study on differences of regional homogeneity on brain function between cerebral small vessel disease patients with and without cognitive impairment[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(6): 48-54. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.007.


[Abstract] Objective To explore the differences of regional homogeneity on brain function and their correlations with cognitive assessments in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) patients with and without cognitive impairment and healthy controls (HC).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the demographic characteristics of 33 CSVD patients with mild cognitive impairment (CSVD-m), 32 CSVD patients with no cognitive impairment (CSVD-n), and 30 gender-, age-, education-matched healthy controls (HC). The cognitive function of all subjects was evaluated using a series of cognitive assessments. T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging data and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of all subjects were collected, and the regional homogeneity (ReHo) values of 170 brain regions in the automated anatomical labeling (AAL) template were calculated. The differences of ReHo values among the three groups and the relationships between ReHo values in altered brain regions and cognitive assessments were analyzed.Results Compared with the HC group, the CSVD-m group and CSVD-n group had abnormal areas in the default mode network, subcortical network, sensorimotor network, and visual network (GRF correction, voxel-level P < 0.001, cluster-level P < 0.05). Compared with the CSVD-n group, the CSVD-m group had abnormal areas in the visual network (GRF correction, voxel-level P < 0.001, cluster-level P < 0.05). In the CSVD-m group, the ReHo values of the left caudate (r = 0.453, P = 0.008) and right middle cingulum (r = 0.349, P = 0.046) were positively correlated with the trail making test B; the ReHo values of the right insula were positively correlated with the auditory verbal learning test-delayed recall (r = 0.386, P = 0.027); the ReHo values of the left Rolandic operculum (r = -0.348, P = 0.047) and lingual gyrus (r = -0.372, P = 0.033) were negatively correlated with the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test-immediate recall; the ReHo values of the left postcentral gyrus were negatively correlated with the Stroop Ⅰ test (r = -0.347, P = 0.048).Conclusions CSVD patients exhibit abnormal regional homogeneity across multiple brain regions, most notably in the right middle cingulum and insula, as well as the left caudate, Rolandic operculum, postcentral gyrus, and lingual gyrus. These alterations are closely associated with cognitive functions such as attention, executive function, and memory. These findings may reflect the neuropathophysiological basis of CSVD-related cognitive impairment and hold potential value as early neuroimaging markers for its identification.
[Keywords] cerebrovascular disorders；cognitive impairment；magnetic resonance imaging；regional homogeneity；brain network

WANG Wenwen   HUANG Jing   CHENG Runtian   LIU Xiaoshuang   LUO Tianyou*  

Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China

Corresponding author: LUO T Y, E-mail: ltychy@sina.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-01-23
Accepted  2025-06-06
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.007
Cite this article as: WANG W W, HUANG J, CHENG R T, et al. A study on differences of regional homogeneity on brain function between cerebral small vessel disease patients with and without cognitive impairment[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(6): 48-54. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.06.007.

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