Brain structure and functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy
Objective:To investigate the changes of gray matter volume(GMV)and functional connectivity(FC)of some brain regions in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.Materials and Methods:The study included 29 patients with breast cancer before chemotherapy treatment(C-)and 30 patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment(C+).We performed psychological cognitive testing,structural and resting functional MRI(fMRI)scans respectively.Voxel-based morphometry(VBM)was used to analyze GMV,and the regions with volumetric variation were selected as regions of interest interest(ROI)for whole-brain FC analysis.Results:Compared with the C-group,patients with C+ had reduced GMV in the left middle occipital gyrus(MNI:X,Y,Z=-10.5,-105.0,0.0)and the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex(MNI:X,Y,Z=15.0,-103.5,-1.5).With the left middle occipital gyrus as the seed point,the FC with the temporal pole:superior temporal gyrus(MNI:X,Y,Z=63,3,-3)and the left superior temporal gyrus(MNI:X,Y,Z=-54,-12,3)was weakened.With the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex as the seed point,the FC with the left lingual gyrus(MNI:X,Y,Z=-33,-87,-15)was weakened.There was no significant correlation between GMV and FC values and psychological cognitive outcomes in C+ patients.Conclusions:After chemotherapy,the volume of gray matter in some brain regions of breast cancer patients is changed,and FCs with multiple brain regions are impaired,which may be one of the neuropathological bases of cognitive,emotional and behavioral disorders.
breast cancerchemotherapy-related cognitive impairmentfunctional magnetic resonance imagingmagnetic resonance imaginggray matter volumevoxel-based morphometryfunctional connectivity