A study on application value of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in observation of brain structure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

YUAN Ye; SHENG Mao; WANG Song; CUI Ping; LIAN Hu; WU Hui; ZHONG Xing; XIA Jinxiang; LI Chuanmin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-3806.2025.04.15

Abstract：Objective To explore the application value of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in observation of brain structure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS).Methods A total of 36 patients with OSAS who were admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Hefei from June 2022 to June 2024 were recruited as observation group,and 36 subjects undergoing healthy physical examination as control group.Polysomnography(PSG)was used to monitor the research subjects'sleep quality.The changes of cerebral gray matter volume(GMV)in different brain regions of the observation group were analyzed by scanning the research subjects'heads with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and using voxel-based morphometry(VBM)to obtain GMV.The research subjects were assessed by using Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS),Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA),Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE),Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA).Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the GMV of right superior frontal gyrus and MoCA scores.Results The apnoea hypopnoea index(AHI)and number of wake after sleep onset(WASO)in the observation group were larger than those in the control group,and the average oxygen concentration in the blood,minimum oxygen concentration in the blood and proportion of deep sleep phase in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences between the two groups(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the proportion of light sleep phase between the two groups(P＞0.05).The HAMD scores,HAMA scores and ESS scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group,while the MoCA scores and MMSE scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences between the two groups(P＜0.05).Compared with that in the control group,the GMV of bilateral superior temporal gyrus,bilateral thalamus,right superior frontal gyrus,left postcentral gyrus,and right precentral gyrus in the observation group was significantly decreased,and no brain regions with increased GMV were found.The GMV of the right superior frontal gyrus was positively correlated with the MoCA scores(r=0.380,P=0.011).Conclusion Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging is helpful for early detection of brain structural and functional abnormalities in OSAS patients,which guides early clinical intervention and improves the patients'prognosis.