Abnormal Intrinsic Brain Activity and Neuroimaging-Based fMRI Classification in Patients With Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia
Abstract
Objective: Neuroimaging studies on neuropathic pain have discovered abnormalities in brain structure and function. However, the brain pattern changes from herpes zoster (HZ) to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) remain unclear. The present study aimed to compare the brain activity between HZ and PHN patients and explore the potential neural mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in neuropathic pain patients. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out among 28 right-handed HZ patients, 24 right-handed PHN patients, and 20 healthy controls (HC), using a 3T MRI system. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was analyzed to detect the brain activity of the patients. Correlations between ALFF and clinical pain scales were assessed in two groups of patients. Differences in brain activity between groups were examined and used in a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm for the subjects' classification. Results: Spontaneous brain activity was reduced in both patient groups. Compared with HC, patients from both groups had decreased ALFF in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and middle temporal gyrus. Meanwhile, the neural activities of angular gyrus and middle frontal gyrus were l...Continue Reading
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