Low-frequency fluctuation amplitude analysis of resting-state fMRI for sickle cell disease patients

Abstract

International audienceSickle cell disease may result in neurological damage and strokes, leading to morbidity and mortality. The inability of conventional magnetic resonance imaging to predict impending stroke underlies the need for other neuroimaging markers risk. In this study, we analyzed neuronal processes at resting state and more particularly how this disease affects the default mode network. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations was used to reflect areas of spontaneous BOLD signal across brain regions. We compared the activations of sickle cell disease patients to a control group with variance analysis and t-test. Significant differences in different parts among the two groups were observed, especially in the default mode network areas and cortical regions near large cerebral arteries. These findings suggest that sickle cell disease can cause some activation modifications near vessels, and these changes could be used a biomarker of the malady