Alterations of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in patients with Moyamoya disease after revascularization: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective: Revascularization surgery is commonly used to treat Moyamoya disease (MMD). To assess the effects of revascularization, we investigated the neural activities in patients with MMD using the alterations of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). Methods: : Eighteen patients with MMD (6 male and 12 female) who had undergone revascularization surgery and 18 healthy controls of the same sex were selected for the study. The fALFFs in the brain regions of all the participants were investigated and analyzed. Results: : The fALFF of the Right Medial Frontal Gyrus, Frontal_Inf_Orb_R, Frontal_Inf_Tri_R, Frontal_Sup_L, and Right Medial Frontal Gyrus increased after the surgical intervention. The fALFF in Thalamu_R, Hippocampus_L, and Cerebellum_L decreased. However, the alternations of mean ALFF values in the different regions did not correlate with postoperative clinical manifestations in MMD patients. Conclusion: Surgical interference can improve brain function in patients with MMD, and fALFF can be used for more accurate predictions of the prognosis of MMD.