Exploring Facial Nucleus-Centered Connectivity in Hemifacial Spasm: Novel Insights into Pathogenesis and Surgical Impact

作者：Yu Duan, Kuan Lv, Chao Zhao, Liangbo Han, Jianke Wang, Chuanpeng Zhang, Ziyi Zhang, Hanlin Liu, Kehu Yang, Zhen Yuan, Li Zhu, Yuli Wang, Jixin Luan, Guolin Ma, Jiang Liu · 发表于：Brain Topography · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1007/s10548-025-01133-y · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Trigeminal Neuralgia and Treatments、Migraine and Headache Studies、Facial Nerve Paralysis Treatment and Research

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions of the face, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Although the facial nerve nucleus has been implicated in HFS pathogenesis, specific research on its functional connectivity within whole-brain networks remains limited. This study aimed to investigate alterations in whole-brain functional connectivity with the facial nerve nucleus as the region of interest (ROI) in HFS patients, before and after microvascular decompression (MVD), to uncover potential mechanisms underlying the disorder and the impact of surgical intervention. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was conducted on 30 HFS patients and 30 matched healthy controls. Functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed using the facial nerve nucleus as the seed ROI. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, including spasm severity, anxiety and depression scores, and preoperative biomarkers. Statistical analyses assessed differences in FC and its correlation with clinical parameters. HFS patients demonstrated significantly increased FC between the left facial nucleus and the right parahippocampal gyrus, as well as between the right facial nucleus and the right fusiform gyrus, compared to healthy controls. These patterns persisted postoperatively, with additional increased FC observed between the right facial nucleus and bilateral superior temporal gyri. Correlation ana...