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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Consciousness Research
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1458339

Deciphering Network Dysregulations and Temporo-Spatial Dynamics in Disorders of Consciousness: Insights from Static and Dynamic Minimum Spanning Tree Analyses

Provisionally accepted
Yangyang Dai Yangyang Dai 1Qiheng He Qiheng He 2Shan Wang Shan Wang 3Tianqing Cao Tianqing Cao 2Xiaoke Chai Xiaoke Chai 2Nan Wang Nan Wang 2Yijun Dong Yijun Dong 4Peiling Wong Peiling Wong 5Jianghong He Jianghong He 2Feng DUAN Feng DUAN 1Yi Yang Yi Yang 2*
  • 1 Nankai University, Tianjin, China
  • 2 Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 3 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
  • 4 Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CAMS), Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
  • 5 University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The neural mechanism associated with impaired consciousness is not fully clear. We aim to explore the association between static and dynamic minimum spanning tree (MST) characteristics and neural mechanism underlying impaired consciousness.Methods: MSTs were constructed based on full-length functional magnetic resonance imaging signals and signal segments within each time window. Global and local measures of static MSTs, as well as spatio-temporal interaction characteristics of dynamic MSTs were investigated.A disruption or an alteration in the functional connectivity, the decreased average coupling strength and the reorganization of hub nodes were observed in MCS patients and VS patients. The analysis of global and local measures quantitatively supported altered static functional connectivity patterns and revealed a slower information transmission efficiency in both patient groups. From a dynamic perspective, the spatial distribution of hub nodes exhibits relative stability over time in both normal and patient populations. The increased temporal variability in multiple brain regions within resting-state networks associated with consciousness was detected in MCS patients and VS patients, especially thalamus. As well, the increased spatial variability in multiple brain regions within these resting-state networks was detected in MCS patients and VS patients. In addition, local measures and spatiotemporal variability analysis indicate that the differences in network structure between two groups of patients are mainly in frontoparietal network and auditory network.Our findings suggest that static and dynamic MST characteristics may shed some light on neural mechanism underlying impaired consciousness.

    Keywords: disorders of consciousness, minimum spanning tree, static functional connectivity, Dynamic Functional Connectivity, Consciousness-related neural mechanisms 1

    Received: 15 Jul 2024; Accepted: 20 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dai, He, Wang, Cao, Chai, Wang, Dong, Wong, He, DUAN and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yi Yang, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

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