Exploring Frequency-Dependent and Dynamic Changes in Brain Connectivity of Chronic Back Pain Patients Using Degree Centrality Analysis

Motivation: In patients with Chronic Back Pain (CBP), rs-fMRI signals in the cerebral cortex may exhibit frequency dependency and temporal variability. Goal(s): To explore potential changes in functional connectivity in patients with CBP and to determine whether these alterations vary across different frequency bands and dynamic indicators. Approach: In patients with CBP, changes in functional connectivity were analyzed using traditional Degree Centrality (DC), DC in subfrequency bands (slow-5, slow-4), and dynamic Degree Centrality (dDC). Results: In CBP patients, functional connectivity changes were observed across multiple brain regions, with additional areas identified in the slow-5 frequency band and dynamic DC compared to traditional DC. Impact: This study demonstrates that incorporating frequency and dynamic analysis in addition to traditional DC metrics can better understand the functional characteristics of the brain in CBP.