Altered intrinsic functional brain architecture in patients with functional constipation: a surface-based network study.

Background: Functional constipation (FCon) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). Studies have indicated a higher likelihood of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and impaired concentration, among patients with FCon. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for these symptoms in FCon patients remain to be fully elucidated. The human brain is a complex network architecture with several fundamental organizational properties. Neurological interactions between gut symptoms and psychiatric issues may be closely associated with these complex networks. Methods: In the present study, a total of 35 patients with FCon and 40 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for a series of clinical examinations and resting-state functional magnetic imaging (RS-fMRI). We employed the surface-based analysis (SBA) approach, utilizing the Schaefer cortical parcellation template and Tikhonov regularization. Graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and functional connectivity (FC) analysis of RS-fMRI were conducted to investigate the aberrant network alterations between the two groups. Additionally, correlation analyses were performed between the network indices and clinical variables in patients with FCon. Results: At the global level, we found altered topological properties and networks in patients with FCon, mainly including the significantly increased clustering coefficient (C Conclusion: These results highlight the altered topological architecture of functional brain networks associated with visual perception abilities, emotion regulation, sensorimotor processing, and attentional control, which may contribute to effectively targeted treatment modalities for patients with FCon.