Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Fig 1.
A flowchart of the postprocessing required for brain connectivity analysis. For each subject, T1-weighted anatomic images (A) were registered to non-diffusion-weighted images and subsequently to the International Consortium for Brain Mapping 152 template. The resulting transformation matrix was then used to bring various brain regions or ROIs (B and C) from the Automated Anatomical Labeling atlas into the native anatomic image space. Diffusion tensor was obtained from diffusion-weighted images (D); and its associated diffusion metrics, such as color-coded fractional anisotropy maps (red, left to right; green, anterior to posterior; blue, inferior to superior), were subsequently obtained for constructing the whole-brain white matter tractogram (F). After we combined the tractogram (F) and ROIs (C), the connectivity matrix (G), which records the connections among all ROIs, was obtained for subsequent group analysis.
- Fig 2.
Boxplots showing the group comparisons (median, 50th percentile values, maximum, and minimum) for nodal degree, local clustering coefficient, and nodal efficiency of the 9 network hubs identified from healthy controls and 4 identified from patients with SLE or NPSLE. The nodal degree of the middle cingulate cortex (P = .005) was decreased for both patients with NPSLE and those with SLE compared with controls. For patients with NPSLE, the local clustering coefficients of the superior frontal cortex (P = .003), hippocampus (P = .027), caudate (P = .018), and putamen (P = .010) were decreased. The nodal efficiency of the superior frontal cortex (P = .048) and caudate (P = .004) were also decreased. Compared with patients with SLE, patients with NPSLE had significantly lower nodal efficiency in the superior temporal gyrus (P = .046) and middle temporal gyrus (P = .041). The asterisk indicates P < .05; dagger, network hubs identified from patients with SLE or NPSLE.
Tables
Control NPSLE SLE P Value Sample size 20 19 19 – Age (yr) 40.1 ± 14.6 44.2 ± 13.4 41.9 ± 14.1 .822 Disease duration (yr) – 18.0 ± 10.1 17.4 ± 9.3 .954 Cumulative prednisolone dosage (g) – 53.8 ± 39.8 48.9 ± 28.9 .317 Radiologic abnormalities (prevalence) (%) Lacunar infarct – 21 11 .179 Chronic infarct – 16 11 .350 Microbleeds – 11 11 1.000 Neuropsychiatric symptoms (prevalence) (%) Seizure – 53 – – Confusion – 21 – – Stroke – 16 – – Psychosis – 11 – – Cognitive impairment – 5 – – Note:— – indicates not applicable.
Brain Regions P Value NPSLE vs Controls SLE vs Controls L. Precentral gyrus .016a .007b L. Middle frontal gyrus .005b .001b R. Middle frontal gyrus, orbital part .050a .012a L. Inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part .001b <.001b L. Inferior frontal gyrus, triangular part .001b <.001b L. Calcarine .029a .043a L. Rolandic operculum .001b .001b L. Insula .002b .001b L. Anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri .002b .001a R. Anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri .046a .005b R. Median cingulate and paracingulate gyri .010a .006b L. Amygdala .013a .013a R. Cuneus .038a .031a L. Postcentral gyrus .004b .044a R. Lingual gyrus .035a .008b R. Angular gyrus .023a .020a R. Superior parietal gyrus .014a .015a L. Supramarginal gyrus .001b .002b L. Caudate .002b .006b R. Caudate .048a .013a L. Heschl gyrus .002b .001b L. Superior temporal gyrus .001b .001b R. Superior occipital gyrus .014a .023a R. Middle occipital gyrus .006b .015a R. Inferior occipital gyrus .024a .041a Regions Abbreviation Controls NPSLE SLE Precuneus PCUN ✓ ✓ ✓ Insula INS ✓ ✓ ✓ Putamen PUT ✓ ✓ ✓ Hippocampus HIP ✓ ✓ ✓ Caudate nucleus CAU ✓ ✓ ✓ Superior frontal gyrus, medial SFGmed ✓ ✓ ✓ Thalamus THA ✓ Median cingulate and paracingulate gyri DCG ✓ Pallidum PAL ✓ ✓ Superior temporal gyrus STG ✓ Lingual gyrus LING ✓ Middle temporal gyrus MTG ✓ ✓ Temporal pole: middle temporal gyrus TPOmid ✓ Note:—✓ indicates identified as hub.
