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Brain functional connectivity during storage based on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging with synchronous urodynamic testing in healthy volunteers

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to elucidate the correlation between spatially distinct brain areas with a full bladder from the perspective of functional connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) with simultaneous urodynamic testing in healthy volunteers. The brain regions with full and empty bladders were reported via rs-fMRI using a 3 T magnetic resonance system. Then, we identified brain regions that are activated during bladder filling by calculating the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values using brain imaging software (DPABI and SPM8) and empirically derived six regions of interest (ROI) from analysis of activation were used as seeds for resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis with the rest of the brain to examine differences in the two conditions. Statistical analysis was performed with a paired t-test and statistical significance was defined as a P < 0.01. Twenty-two healthy volunteers (11 men and 11 women) 35–64 years of age were enrolled. The rs-fMRI scans of 22 healthy volunteers were analyzed. After motion correction, two subjects were excluded. Meaningful data were obtained on 20 of these subjects. Compared with an empty bladder, functional connection enhancement was noted mainly in the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex and bilateral calcarine gyrus, the left lingual gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, right insula, right inferior temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobe, left insula, right lingual gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobe, left calcarine gyrus, bilateral lingual gyrus, prefrontal cortex, including the middle frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus, the right middle temporal gyrus, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, and right precuneus. The decrease in functional connection was mainly located in the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, including the superior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, the left inferior orbitofrontal cortex, right insula, middle occipital gyrus, angular gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, right insula, middle temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobe, middle occipital gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior frontal gyrus, left insula, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, bilateral precuneus, middle occipital gyrus, and right middle temporal lobe. There were significant changes in the functional connectivity of the brain between full and empty bladders in healthy volunteers, which suggests that the central neural processes involved in storage needs brain areas with integrated control. These findings are strong evidence for physicians to consider brain responses in urine storage and offer the provision of some normative data.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to express our gratitude to our participants. The study was funded by grants from the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (No.81570688) and were approved by the appropriate ethics committee of the China Rehabilitation Research Center (IRB: 2017-002-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology of Beijing Boai Hospital at China Rehabilitation Research Centre, Rehabilitation School of Capital Medical University, No 10. Jiaomen Beilu, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100068, China

    Lingna Zhao, Limin Liao & Yi Gao

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Rehabilitation, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100068, China

    Lingna Zhao, Limin Liao & Yi Gao

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  1. Lingna Zhao
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  2. Limin Liao
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Correspondence to Limin Liao.

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Lingna Zhao, Limin Liao and Yi Gao declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964, and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all volunteers for being included in the study.

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Zhao, L., Liao, L. & Gao, Y. Brain functional connectivity during storage based on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging with synchronous urodynamic testing in healthy volunteers. Brain Imaging and Behavior 15, 1676–1684 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-020-00362-y

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