Investigation of Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity Patterns in Herpes Zoster Keratitis Using the Percent Amplitude of Fluctuation Method: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Abstract

Xulin Liao,1,2 Chu Qi Li,1 Qian Min Ge,1 Li Ying Tang,3 Ting Su,4 Qiu Yu Li,1 Yi Cong Pan,1 Hui Ye Shu,1 Li Juan Zhang,1 Yi Shao1 1Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361004, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USACorrespondence: Yi Shao, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17, Yong Wai Zheng Street, Dong Hu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax [phone], Email [email protected]: The purpose of this study was to use the percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) to study the changes in brain activity and nerve function of herpes zoster keratitis (HZK) patients.Methods: We recruited 20 HZK patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Each of these groups included ten males and ten females and were matched in weight and age. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) method was used for analysis and detected differences between the two groups in the neurological function of brain areas. We also applied the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to analyze the two groups and did a correlation analysis between the PerAF value, anxiety and depression score, and visual acuity.Results: The PerAF signal at the right putamen and right precentral gyrus was significantly higher in patients than in HCs. However, the PerAF value of the left inferior temporal was lower in patients than in HCs. In addition, the HZK patients’ anxiety and depression score (HADS) and visual acuity (V.A.) Log MAR negatively correlated with the PerAF value at the left inferior temporal gyrus.Conclusion: HZK patients had some changes in brain regions, and the changes were also related to their mood and visual acuity. These findings might contribute to other studies on the potential pathological mechanism, disease development, prognosis, and brain function in HZK patients.Keywords: herpes zoster keratitis, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, brain activity patterns, brain region, the percent amplitude of fluctuation

Keywords

• herpes zoster keratitis
• resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging
• brain activity patterns
• brain region
• the percent amplitude of fluctuation