Abnormal functinoal connectivity in pre-eclampsia patients

• Project/Area Number: 26861245
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Anesthesiology
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Nougawa Rika 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30647558)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 妊娠高血圧症候群 / 脳機能 / 安静時機能的MRI / 機能的脳画像 / 機能的MRI / 脳ネットワーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A clustering structure of nodes showing positive correlation between DC and systolic blood pressure in pre-eclamptic patients was observed in the left occipital lobe via thresholding whole-brain maps. Among these nodes one voxel on Brodmann area 19 survived family wise error correction and showed less paired nodes with significant connectivity in the bilateral parietal lobe of patients than healthy participants. In the longitudinal comparison, two of four patients with notably higher blood pressure during pregnancy represented significant decrease of DC in the interest voxels when their blood pressure normalized.
The present study provides the first evidence of brain network centralities associated with pre-eclamptic hypertension. These central hubs are highly influential in topological interconnection between occipital and parietal cortex.