Characterizing Large-scale Neuroplastic Changes in Cerebral Compared to Ocular Visual Impairment

与眼部视觉障碍相比，大脑中大规模神经塑性变化的特征

• 批准号: 10613539
• 负责人: Lotfi Merabet
• 金额: $ 31.3万
• 依托单位: MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-05-01 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10613539
• 关键词: Anisotropy; Biological Markers; Blindness; Brain; Brain Injuries; Cerebrum; Characteristics; Child Care; Clinical; Clinical assessments; Coupling; Development; Diffusion; Dorsal; Fiber; Goals; Graph; Image; Impairment; Individual; Investigation; Length; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Measures; Nature; Nervous System Trauma; Neuronal Plasticity; Nodal; Outcome; Pathway Analysis; Pathway interactions; Pattern; Performance; Perinatal; Periventricular Leukomalacia; Population; Property; Public Health; Research; Residual state; Resolution; Rest; Stream; Structure; United States; Vision; Visual; Visual Acuity; Visual System; Visual impairment; clinical imaging; comparison control; cortical visual impairment; design; imaging approach; imaging modality; indexing; innovation; insight; interest; multimodal neuroimaging; neuroimaging; neurological rehabilitation; neurophysiology; public health relevance; response; secondary outcome; segregation; visual performance; visual processing; white matter; white matter injury

Summary The objective of the proposed research is to better understand the underlying neurophysiology of cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI), the leading cause of congenital vision loss in the United States and developed world. CVI is associated with peri-natal damage to visual cerebral structures and pathways, and leads to a myriad of impairments in visual function. Despite this alarming public health issue, there is a fundamental gap in our understanding as to how the visual system develops in the setting of cerebral compared to ocular based visual impairment. Current studies using standard clinical imaging modalities are limited in their ability to characterize brain functional reorganization in the setting of widespread neurological injury. To further advance our understanding, we will employ multi-modal neuroimaging to characterize whole brain as well as regional structural and functional brain connectivity in CVI associated with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). In our first aim, we will characterize white matter integrity and structural connectivity using high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI). In our second aim, we will characterize functional brain connectivity networks using resting state functional connectivity (rsfc)MRI. Using a graph theoretical analysis framework, we will then investigate network topological properties and the coupling between structural and functional networks. Further characterization of functional connectivity will be carried out using stepwise functional connectivity (SFC) analysis. This complementary approach allows for the investigation of widespread network alterations on information transfer across the entire brain, and represents a key distinguishing innovation of this proposal. Specifically, the examination of topological characteristics and the nature of structural-functional network coupling will lead to a better understanding of CVI by uncovering the nature of network alterations in the setting of congenital brain injury and how it relates to visual function. Findings will be compared to ocular visually impaired (OVI) individuals (matched for residual visual function) as well as neurotypical sighted controls. Our overarching hypothesis is that CVI is associated with key differences in the organization and relationship between structural-functional connectivity networks. Furthermore, we predict that in CVI, functional networks responsible for visual processing will show evidence of reorganization in response to large-scale white matter injury, and this may serve as a useful biomarker in relation to clinical functional assessments. This study will provide a high level of insight that has not been previously achieved by previous investigations relying on standard clinical imaging approaches. Uncovering how the brain develops in the case of CVI and how it differs from ocular based visual impairment is a crucial first step in developing a neurorehabilitative framework specifically designed for the care of children with this condition. This is of great significance for individuals with CVI; a population that has been immensely underserved despite its important

概括 拟议研究的目的是更好地了解 脑/皮质视觉障碍（CVI），美国和先天性视力丧失的主要原因 发达世界。 CVI与对视觉脑结构和途径的围周损伤有关，以及 导致视觉功能的无数损害。尽管这个令人震惊的公共卫生问题，但仍有一个 我们了解视觉系统在脑环境中如何发展的根本差距 与基于眼的视觉障碍相比。当前使用标准临床成像方式的研究是 在广泛的神经系统环境中，它们表征大脑功能重组的能力有限 受伤。为了进一步提高我们的理解，我们将采用多模式神经影像来表征整体 CVI的大脑以及区域结构和功能性大脑连通性与脑室周围相关 白细胞（PVL）。在我们的第一个目标中，我们将使用使用白质完整性和结构连接来使用 高角度分辨率扩散成像（HARDI）。在我们的第二个目标中，我们将表征功能性大脑 使用静止状态功能连接（RSFC）MRI的连接网络。使用图理论分析 框架，我们将研究网络拓扑特性以及结构和结构之间的耦合 功能网络。功能连接的进一步表征将使用逐步进行 功能连通性（SFC）分析。这种补充方法允许调查 广泛的网络改变整个大脑的信息传输，代表一个关键 区分该提议的创新。具体而言，拓扑特征的检查和 结构性功能网络耦合的性质将通过揭露CVI的方式更好地理解CVI 先天性脑损伤环境中网络改变的性质及其与视觉功能的关系。 发现将与眼视障（OVI）个体（匹配残留视觉功能）进行比较，为 以及神经型的视力控制。我们的总体假设是CVI与关键差异有关 在组织和结构功能连接网络之间的关系。此外，我们 预测在CVI中，负责视觉处理的功能网络将显示重组的证据 为了应对大规模的白质损伤，这可能是与临床有关的有用的生物标志物 功能评估。这项研究将提供高水平的见解，以前尚未实现 先前依赖标准临床成像方法的研究。发现大脑在 CVI及其与基于眼的视觉障碍的不同是开发一个至关重要的第一步 神经居住框架专为护理这种状况的儿童而设计。这很棒 对CVI患者的意义；尽管它很重要