Alteration in brain functional connectivity in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment during memory task: A fNIRS study

• Published in: Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases 2023-09, Vol.32 (9), p.107280-107280, Article 107280
• Main Authors: Kong, Ying, Peng, Wenna, Li, Jing, Zhu, Chunjiao, Zhang, Changjie, Fan, Yongmei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognitive dysfunction; Cognitive impairment; Diagnostic imaging; Functional connectivity; Functional Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS); Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI)
• ISSN: 1052-3057; 1532-8511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107280

•Post-stroke cognit seriously affects normal life of stroke patients.•Short-term memory,visuo-spatial abilities tests and fNIRS method to detect brain activity.•Focus on functional connectivity (FC) between brain regions.•FC levels were closely related to cognitive performance.•FC levels decreased dramatically in Post-sroke cognitive impairment.•FNIRS-based FC provides a non-invasive method to assess PSCI. This study attempted to evaluate the functional connectivity (FC) in relevant cortex areas during three memory tasks using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) method to expound the neural mechanisms in individuals with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Short-term memory and visuospatial abilities were assessed using the clock drawing test, digit span test, and Corsi Block-tapping tests with simultaneous fNIRS. The oxygenated hemoglobin concentration signals were recorded from the bilateral motor sense cortex (LMS/RMS) and prefrontal lobe (LPFT/PFT/RPFT) of 19 subjects with cognitive impairment (PSCI group), 27 stroke subjects (STR group) and 26 healthy subjects (HC group). MMSE scores were positively correlated with the clock drawing test and digit span test scores but not with Corsi Block-tapping scores. During each test, functional connectivity between the bilateral MS (LMS/RMS) was highest within each group, but the functional connectivity between motor sense cortex and frontal lobe was lowest. PSCI group showed decreased FC between bilateral motor sense cortex (P  0.05) during clock drawing test and Corsi Block-tapping test while decreased FC between each region of interest during digit span test with no significant difference. Functional connectivity levels were closely related to MMSE scores. Decreased functional connectivity level may be a marker of impaired cognitive function in post-stroke cognitive impairment. The fNIRS-based functional connectivity provides a non-invasive method to recognize cognitive impairment post-stroke. Functional connectivity changes may help to further understand the neural mechanisms of cognitive impairment post stroke.