Detecting altered spontaneous activities of different brain areas in diabetic vitreous hemorrhage patients: a magnetic resonance imaging study

To compare spontaneous brain regional activities between diabetic vitreous hemorrhage patients (DVHs) and healthy controls (HCs).

Thirty-two DVHs and 32 HCs were enrolled in this study. Baseline demographic and vision data were compared between groups using an independent sample t-test. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used in all participants. fMRI data was obtained and analyzed using MRIcro and SPM8 software. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) technology was used to measure regional spontaneous brain activity, and sensitivity was tested using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs). The fALFF values were analyzed using REST software and two-sample t-tests were used to compare values between groups. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) score was assessed in DVHs and Pearson’s correlation was used to test relationships between mean fALFF value and both HADS score and duration of DVH.

Except for the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in both eyes, which showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.05), there were no statistically significant differences in the other indicators (P>0.05) between the HCs and DVHs group. Compared with controls, fALFF value was higher in DVH in cerebellum posterior lobe (CPL) and lower in right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and right medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In DVH patients, mean fALFF value of CPL was positively correlated with HADS score and duration of diabetes. However, no such correlation was found, for right ACC or right medial OFC. DVH may lead to abnormal activities in certain brain regions related to visual control and mood.

Visual impairment caused by DVH may lead to adjustment in regional visual brain activities and may be related to depression or reward system processing in some brain regions.