AUTHOR=Wang Mengting , Tang Xin , Li Bin , Wan Tianyi , Zhu Xuechao , Zhu Yuping , Lai Xunfu , He Yulin , Xia Guojin 

TITLE=Dynamic local metrics changes in patients with toothache: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.1077432

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2022.1077432

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Objective:The dynamics of local metrics at rest in patients with toothache (TA, Toothache) were 
studied in the hope of further understanding the altered central neural mechanisms in TA patients.
Methods: 30 patients with TA and 30 matched healthy (HC) control volunteers were recruited, and 
resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-MRI) scans were performed on all subjects, and 
data were analyzed to compare group differences in three dynamic local indices: dynamic regional 
homogeneity（dReHO）、dynamic low-frequency fluctuation amplitude(dALFF) and dynamic 
fractional low-frequency fluctuation amplitude(dfALFF). In addition, the association between 
dynamic local metrics in different brain regions of TA patients and scores on the Visual Analog 
Scale (VAS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were investigated by Pearson 
correlation analysis.
Results: In this study, we found that The local metrics of TA patients changed with time。 
Compared with the HC group, TA patients had increased dReHo values in the bilateral middle 
frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and left superior 
temporal gyrus left precentral gyrus, precuneus, and angular gyrus, increased dALFf values in the 
right superior frontal gyrus, and increased dfALFF values in the right middle temporal gyrus, 
middle frontal gyrus and superior occipital gyrus. (p < 0.01, cluster level P < 0.05). Pearson 
correlation analysis showed that dReHo values of the left precuneus and left angular gyrus were 
positively correlated with VAS scores in the TA group. dReHo value of right posterior central gyrus 
was positively correlated with the HADS score (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: There are differences in the patterns of neural activity changes in resting areas of TA 
patients and the dynamic local metrics may serve as a new neuroimaging biomarker for studying 
TA and help to reveal the underlying neuropathic mechanisms.