Exploring the Relationship between Abnormal Communication Efficiency of Cerebral Cortex and Multiple Cognitive Functions in Mild Subcortical Stroke: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the specific regions of abnormal cortical communication efficiency in patients with mild subcortical stroke and to investigate the relationship between these communication efficiency abnormalities and multidimensional cognition. Methods: The research involved 35 patients with mild strokes affecting the basal ganglia and 29 healthy controls (HC). Comprehensive neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessments were conducted. Stroke patients were categorized into post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) (MoCA ≤ 22) and non-cognitively impaired stroke patients (NPSCI) (MoCA ≥ 23) based on their cognitive performance. Additionally, 22 patients were reassessed three months later. Results: PSCI patients, compared to HC and NPSCI groups, had significantly higher communication efficiency in specific brain regions. A notable finding was the significant correlation between increased communication efficiency in the medioventral occipital cortex and multidimensional cognitive decline. However, this increased communication efficiency in PSCI patients lessened during the three-month follow-up period. Conclusions: the heightened communication efficiency in the medio-ventral occipital cortex may represent a compensatory mechanism for cognitive impairment in PSCI patients, which undergoes adjustment three months after stroke.