Altered topological properties of morphological and functional brain networks in patients with NMOSD: An individual-based study

Motivation: Alterations of brain structure and function in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are not fully understood. Goal(s): To assess the alteration of individual brain network topological properties and their clinical significance in NMOSD. Approach: 18 NMOSD patients and 22 healthy controls were enrolled. Individual morphological (MBNs) and functional brain networks (FBNs) were created and compared. Results: The results revealed compensatory increases in local network properties in NMOSD to maintain overall stability. The MBNs showed more significant changes and stronger correlations with clinical information than FBNs. Impact: Our findings provided insights into NMOSD's complex neurological mechanisms from a brain network perspective and revealed the clinical significance of MBN and FBN in patients with NMOSD.