Local functional connectivity of patients with acute and remitting multiple sclerosis: A Kendall's coefficient of concordance- and coherence-regional homogeneity study

Using Kendall's coefficient of concordance (KCC-) and Coherence (Cohe-) regional homogeneity (ReHo) to explore the alterations of brain local functional connectivity in acute and remitting relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and its clinical relevance. 18 acute RRMS, 26 remitting RRMS and 20 healthy controls received resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. After data preprocessing and ReHo (KCC-ReHo and Cohe-ReHo) calculation, analysis of variance and followed post hoc analysis was used to compare the KCC-ReHo or Cohe ReHo maps across groups. After analysis of variance analysis, regions with significant among-group differences detected by the 2 ReHo analysis were overlapped, these overlapped regions located in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right SFG, left cuneus and right middle occipital gyrus (P < .01, Gaussian random field theory correction). Followed post hoc tests showed that, compared with healthy controls, (1).. increased ReHo in left cuneus and right middle occipital gyrus only detected in acute RRMS not in remitting RRMS; (2).. acute and remitting RRMS both demonstrated decreased ReHo in the SFG and medial frontal gyrus (MeFG). Except for the overlapped location, the regions location of altered ReHo detected by the 2 ReHo analysis also present difference. Further, correlation analysis showed disease duration was negatively correlated with the KCC-ReHo (when K = 7, 19) of left SFG (r = -0.633, P = .006; r = -0.620, P = .008), left MeFG (r = -0.608, P = .010; r = -0.555, P = .022), the KCC-ReHo (when K = 27) of left and right SFG (r = -0.551, P = .022; r = -0.603, Ρ = .010), and the Cohe-ReHo of right MeFG (r = -0.608, P = .010) in acute RRMS; meanwhile, the KCC-ReHo (when K = 7, 19) of right SFG (r = -0.590, P = .013; r = -0.599, P = .011) was negatively related to expanded disability status scale scores in the acute RRMS. Both acute and remitting RRMS patients has disease-related brain dysfunction, interestingly, relative to remitting RRMS, the acute RRMS patients mobilized more brain regions involving visual information processing in an attempt to maintain functional stability. In addition, our results also provide a methodological consideration for future ReHo analysis.