Background: Patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head commonly present with sensorimotor anomalies. With independent component analysis, it is possible to explore the intrinsic alternations in highly specific functional networks. We used independent component analysis to examine the intrinsic changes and interactive connectivity between related functional resting-state networks.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to strengthen the theoretical basis of brain plasticity after osteonecrosis of the femoral head to provide new insights into clinical treatment.
Study design: Observational study.
Setting: School of rehabilitation science of a university.
Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 14 patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head and 20 healthy controls. All the data underwent preprocessing and analysis of the intrinsic brain functional connectivity within and between resting-state networks.
Results: Nine resting-state networks were identified via independent component analysis. When compared to healthy controls, the osteonecrosis of the femoral head patients showed abnormal activity in these networks. With respect to the internetwork interactions, increased functional connectivity was detected between the sensorimotor network and right frontoparietal network and between the dorsal attention network and frontoparietal network bilaterally.
Limitations: This study was a cross-sectional design. A longitudinal study of the dynamic changes in multinetwork functional connectivity can help to elucidate the central mechanisms of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
Conclusions: This study investigated the alterations in resting-state network functional connectivity in osteonecrosis of the femoral head patients. Examining the large-scale functional reorganization in osteonecrosis of the femoral head patients may be helpful for us to understand the pathological mechanisms underlying dysfunction and shed light on potential behavioral treatments for osteonecrosis of the femoral head based on functional magnetic resonance imaging in clinical practice. Understanding the mechanisms of the disease may shed light on potential behavioral treatments for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head based on functional magnetic resonance imaging findings.
Keywords: functional connectivity; independent component analysis; osteonecrosis of the femoral head; pain; fMRI.