Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM; World Health Organization grade IV) assumes a variable appearance on MRI owing to heterogeneous proliferation and infiltration of its cells. As a result, the neurovascular units responsible for functional connectivity (FC) may exist within gross tumor boundaries, albeit with altered magnitude. Therefore, we hypothesize that the strength of FC within GBMs is predictive of overall survival. METHODS: We used predefined FC regions of interest (ROIs) in de novo GBM patients to characterize the presence of within-tumor FC observable via resting-state functional MRI and its relationship to survival outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-seven GBM patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 13.9 y) were analyzed. Functionally connected voxels, not identifiable on conventional structural images, can be routinely found within the tumor mass and was not significantly correlated to tumor size. In patients with known survival times (n = 31), higher intranetwork FC strength within GBM tumors was associated with better overall survival even after accounting for clinical and demographic covariates. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the possibility that functionally intact regions may persist within GBMs and that the extent to which FC is maintained may carry prognostic value and inform treatment planning.
Source: Neuro-Oncology
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,132
Funders: Association for Glycogen Storage Disease, Washington University in St. Louis, National Institutes of Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, National Cancer Institute, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
OpenAlex ID: W3049530757