Brain structural and functional alterations in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass: a short-term longitudinal fMRI study
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Radiology, 93088 Military Hospital
- 2Department of General Practice, Jiangbei Campus, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University
- 3Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University
- 4Department of Radiology, DaPing Hospital, Army Medical University
Abstract
Objective: While cross-sectional studies have identified brain abnormalities after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the early dynamic trajectory of these alterations from the preoperative state remains to be fully characterized. This longitudinal study investigates the within-subject evolution of brain structure and function following CPB.
Methods: Sixty-eight patients undergoing CPB were scanned twice (preoperatively and 15 days post-surgery) using resting-state fMRI and T1-weighted MRI. We assessed changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) for local neural activity, graph-based network topology, and surface-based morphometry (SBM).
Results: Comparison of pre- and postoperative scans revealed a coordinated pattern of brain reorganization. Functionally, ReHo decreased within default mode network (DMN) hubs, specifically the posterior cingulate cortex and right angular gyrus, while increasing in fronto-parietal network (FPN) regions (bilateral inferior frontal gyri) and the right temporal lobe. Network analysis showed altered functional segregation (reduced clustering coefficient and local efficiency) alongside enhanced integration (increased global efficiency), raising the possibility of network-level reorganization. Structurally, these functional shifts paralleled gray matter loss, cortical thinning, and sulcal shallowing in fronto-temporal regions and the right precuneus, accompanied by reduced cortical complexity (fractal dimension, gyrification index) in temporal, frontal, and occipital areas.
Conclusion: This longitudinal study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that CPB is associated with dynamic and coordinated remodeling of brain structure and function. The DMN-FPN imbalance and right temporal lobe alteration may represent candidate neural correlates for future investigations into postoperative cognitive dysfunction.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026brain,
title = {{Brain structural and functional alterations in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass: a short-term longitudinal fMRI study}},
author = {Bo Liu and Wei Zhao and Weijie Fan and Jing Yuan and Dong Zhang and Si Zhang},
journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1853171},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1853171/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Brain structural and functional alterations in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass: a short-term longitudinal fMRI study
AU - Bo Liu
AU - Wei Zhao
AU - Weijie Fan
AU - Jing Yuan
AU - Dong Zhang
AU - Si Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Frontiers in Neurology
DO - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1853171
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1853171/full
AB - Objective: While cross-sectional studies have identified brain abnormalities after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the early dynamic trajectory of these alterations from the preoperative state remains to be fully characterized. This longitudinal study investigates the within-subject evolution of brain structure and function following CPB. Methods: Sixty-eight patients undergoing CPB were scanned twice (preoperatively and 15 days post-surgery) using resting-state fMRI and T1-weighted MRI. We assessed changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) for local neural activity, graph-based network topology, and surface-based morphometry (SBM). Results: Comparison of pre- and postoperative scans revealed a coordinated pattern of brain reorganization. Functionally, ReHo decreased within default mode network (DMN) hubs, specifically the posterior cingulate cortex and right angular gyrus, while increasing in fronto-parietal network (FPN) regions (bilateral inferior frontal gyri) and the right temporal lobe. Network analysis showed altered functional segregation (reduced clustering coefficient and local efficiency) alongside enhanced integration (increased global efficiency), raising the possibility of network-level reorganization. Structurally, these functional shifts paralleled gray matter loss, cortical thinning, and sulcal shallowing in fronto-temporal regions and the right precuneus, accompanied by reduced cortical complexity (fractal dimension, gyrification index) in temporal, frontal, and occipital areas. Conclusion: This longitudinal study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that CPB is associated with dynamic and coordinated remodeling of brain structure and function. The DMN-FPN imbalance and right temporal lobe alteration may represent candidate neural correlates for future investigations into postoperative cognitive dysfunction.
SN - 1664-2295
ER -