Frontiers in Neuroscience (Dec 2018)

Regional Homogeneity and Multivariate Pattern Analysis of Cervical Spondylosis Neck Pain and the Modulation Effect of Treatment

  • Jun Chen,
  • Zengjian Wang,
  • Yiheng Tu,
  • Xian Liu,
  • Kristen Jorgenson,
  • Guoxi Ye,
  • Chenlin Lin,
  • Jianhua Liu,
  • Joel Park,
  • Courtney Lang,
  • Bo Liu,
  • Jian Kong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00900
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Objects: We investigated brain functional alteration in patients with chronic cervical spondylosis neck pain (CSNP) compared to healthy controls (HCs) and the effect of intervention.Methods: 104 CSNP patients and 96 matched HCs were recruited. Patients received 4 weeks of treatment. Resting-state fMRI and Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) were collected before and after treatment. Resting state regional homogeneity (rs-ReHo) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) were applied to (1) investigate rs-ReHo differences between CSNP patients and controls and the effect of longitudinal treatment and (2) classify CSNP patients from HCs and predict clinical outcomes before treatment using MVPA.Results: We found that (1) CSNP patients showed decreased rs-ReHo in the left sensorimotor cortex and right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ), and rs-ReHo at the rTPJ significantly increased after treatment; (2) rs-ReHo at rTPJ was associated with NPQ at baseline, and pre- and post-treatment rs-ReHo changes at rTPJ were associated with NPQ changes in CSNP patients; and (3) MVPA could discriminate CSNP patients from HCs with 72% accuracy and predict clinical outcomes with a mean absolute error of 19.6%.Conclusion: CSNP patients are associated with dysfunction of the rTPJ and sensorimotor area.Significance: rTPJ plays on important role in the pathophysiology and development of CSNP.

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