A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Using Dynamic Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation to Assess Brain Activity in Patients with Moyamoya Disease

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to monitor and record the dynamic brain activity of patients with moyamoya disease (MMD), as well as to study the relationship between brain abnormalities and presenting clinical features.Methods: A total of 16 patients with MMD (2 males and 14 females) were invited to participate in the study, as were healthy controls (HCs) with the same number and sex ratio. In this study, the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was utilized to assess changes in spontaneous brain activity. Moreover, we also used correlation analysis to study the relationship among the measured mean of dALFF, behavioral performances, and the retinal nerve fiber layer and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score to explore the potential relationship between MMD and anxiety and depression.Results: Our study reveals that in MMD, dALFF levels decreased in the left lingual gyrus, right insula, and occipital lobe.Discussion: In this study, we found and discussed the potential relationship between the abnormal activities in multiple brain regions and related functional network disorders in patients with MMD, as well as the damage to brain regions that process emotion and vision, in the hopes of providing more ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MMD. Impact statementThe current studies do not provide a definitive understanding of the specific process and consequences of moyamoya disease. In this study, we evaluate the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation to clarify the impact of Moyamoya disease on ocular disorders and aberrant brain function. We report functional impairments and potential consequences of the left lingual gyrus, right insula, and right occipital lobe, along with the associations between anxiety and depression ratings and specific brain regions. Our study helps facilitate the clinical diagnosis and treatment and appeals to healthcare professionals to focus on and prevent complications of Moyamoya disease.