Aberrant Functional Lateralization and Interhemispheric Synergy in High Myopia: Insights From Neurotransmitter Distribution Signatures and Machine Learning Classification.

Purpose: High myopia (HM) is a severe ocular disorder that may cause irreversible damage to ocular structures and visual function. Although previous studies have identified cerebral functional alterations in HM, the patterns of hemispheric functional asymmetry and interhemispheric coordination remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate abnormalities in hemispheric lateralization and interhemispheric cooperation in patients with HM, and to further explore their potential neurotransmitter-related mechanisms. Methods: We enrolled 55 patients with HM and 55 matched healthy control subjects. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Group comparisons were performed by measuring the autonomy index (AI) and functional connectivity between homologous voxels (CFH). Subsequently, spatial correlation analysis was performed between the identified anomalous regions and the density distribution of various neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. Classification was then performed using a support vector machine (SVM) model. Results: The results demonstrated a widespread enhancement of AI in patients with HM, particularly in the right lingual gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus, among other regions. Conversely, CFH was significantly attenuated in the bilateral fusiform/parahippocampal gyri, as well as other homologous areas. Significantly, these anomalous regions exhibited a robust spatial correlation with the distribution of serotonin and dopamine receptors and acetylcholine transporter receptors. The SVM model, utilizing CFH features, achieved a classification accuracy of 72.73% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.72). Conclusions: This investigation elucidates the abnormal functional lateralization and cooperation present in patients with HM. We propose that these functional anomalies are associated with a specific neurochemical basis, thereby providing invaluable insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms driving the disorder.