Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35413156›Full record

ArticleBrain and behavior2022

Impact of thresholding on the consistency and sensitivity of diffusion MRI-based brain networks in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Bruno M De Brito Robalo, Naomi Vlegels, Alexander Leemans, Yael D Reijmer, Geert Jan Biessels

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and behavior, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Bruno M De Brito RobaloDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Naomi VlegelsDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Alexander LeemansPROVIDI Lab, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Yael D ReijmerDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Geert Jan BiesselsDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
University Medical Center Utrecht · NLUtrecht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThresholding of low-weight connections of diffusion MRI-based brain networks has been proposed to remove false-positive connections. It has been previously established that this yields more reproducible scan-rescan network architecture in healthy subjects. In patients with brain disease, network measures are applied to assess inter-individual variation and changes over time. Our aim was to investigate whether thresholding also achieves improved consistency in network architecture in patients, while maintaining sensitivity to disease effects for these applications.

methodsWe applied fixed-density and absolute thresholding on brain networks in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD, n = 86; ≈24 months follow-up), as a clinically relevant exemplar condition. In parallel, we applied the same methods in healthy young subjects (n = 44; scan-rescan interval ≈4 months) as a frame of reference. Consistency of network architecture was assessed with dice similarity of edges and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of edge-weights and hub-scores. Sensitivity to disease effects in patients was assessed by evaluating interindividual variation, changes over time, and differences between those with high and low white matter hyperintensity burden, using correlation analyses and mixed ANOVA.

resultsCompared to unthresholded networks, both thresholding methods generated more consistent architecture over time in patients (unthresholded: dice = .70; ICC: .70-.78; thresholded: dice = .77; ICC: .73-.83). However, absolute thresholding created fragmented nodes. Similar observations were made in the reference group. Regarding sensitivity to disease effects in patients, fixed-density thresholds that were optimal in terms of consistency (densities: .10-.30) preserved interindividual variation in global efficiency and node strength as well as the sensitivity to detect effects of time and group. Absolute thresholding produced larger fluctuations of interindividual variation.

conclusionsOur results indicate that thresholding of low-weight connections, particularly when using fixed-density thresholding, results in more consistent network architecture in patients with longer rescan intervals, while preserving sensitivity to disease effects.

Indexed as

Cerebral Small Vessel DiseasesBrainDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingNeuroimagingcerebral small vessel diseasediffusion tensor imagingnetwork densitynetwork reproducibilitynetwork thresholding

Identifiers

PMID35413156
PMCPMC9120729
OpenAlexW4223415981

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.