Alteration of brain network centrality in CTN patients after a single triggering pain

• Published in: Frontiers in neuroscience Vol. 17; p. 1109684
• Main Authors: Ge, Xiuhong, Wang, Luoyu, Wang, Mengze, Pan, Lei, Ye, Haiqi, Zhu, Xiaofen, Fan, Sandra, Feng, Qi, Du, Quan, Wenhua, Yu, Ding, Zhongxiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 16-02-2023; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Brain; Brain mapping; Caudate nucleus; central mechanism; Central nervous system; classical trigeminal neuralgia; Contraindications; degree centrality; Disease; dynamic; Frontal gyrus; function magnetic resonance imaging; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neuralgia; Neuroimaging; Neuroscience; Pain; Patients; Temporal gyrus; Time series; Trigeminal nerve; degree centrality; dynamic; function magnetic resonance imaging; central mechanism; classical trigeminal neuralgia
• ISSN: 1662-4548; 1662-453X; 1662-453X
• DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1109684

The central nervous system may also be involved in the pathogenesis of classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN). The present study aimed to explore the characteristics of static degree centrality (sDC) and dynamic degree centrality (dDC) at multiple time points after a single triggering pain in CTN patients.
A total of 43 CTN patients underwent resting-state function magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) before triggering pain (baseline), within 5 s after triggering pain (triggering-5 s), and 30 min after triggering pain (triggering-30 min). Voxel-based degree centrality (DC) was used to assess the alteration of functional connection at different time points.
The sDC values of the right caudate nucleus, fusiform gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and orbital part were decreased in triggering-5 s and increased in triggering-30 min. The sDC value of the bilateral superior frontal gyrus were increased in triggering-5 s and decreased in triggering-30 min. The dDC value of the right lingual gyrus was gradually increased in triggering-5 s and triggering-30 min.
Both the sDC and dDC values were changed after triggering pain, and the brain regions were different between the two parameters, which supplemented each other. The brain regions which the sDC and dDC values were changing reflect the global brain function of CTN patients, and provides a basis for further exploration of the central mechanism of CTN.