Aberrant brain structural–functional connectivity coupling related to cognitive impairment in different cerebral small vessel disease burden

Motivation: The impact of different cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden on brain structural and functional connectivity coupling and their correlation with neurocognitive outcomes remain largely unknown. Goal(s): To explore the alterations of structural and functional connection network (SC-FC) coupling in the whole brain and different functional modules of patients with different CSVD burden compared with healthy controls. Approach: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and Resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI techniques were used to analyze structural and functional brain connections. Results: Severe CSVD burden patients exhibited significantly decreased whole-brain SC-FC coupling, reduced modular SC-FC coupling and associated with impairment of cognitive outcomes. Impact: SC-FC coupling might provide a more sensitive neuroimaging biomarker of CSVD burden as well as new insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the clinical development of CSVD.