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. 2021 Feb 16:15:554194.
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.554194. eCollection 2021.

Auditory Stimulation Modulates Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome Patients

Melanie Boltzmann  1 , Simone B Schmidt  1 , Christoph Gutenbrunner  2 , Joachim K Krauss  3 , Martin Stangel  4 , Günter U Höglinger  4 , Claus-W Wallesch  5 , Thomas F Münte  6 , Jens D Rollnik  1
Affiliations

Auditory Stimulation Modulates Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome Patients

Melanie Boltzmann et al. Front Neurosci. .

Abstract

Passive listening to music is associated with several psychological and physical benefits in both, healthy and diseased populations. In this fMRI study, we examined whether preferred music has effects on the functional connectivity within resting-state networks related to consciousness. Thirteen patients in unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and 18 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Both groups were exposed to different auditory stimulation (scanner noise, preferred music, and aversive auditory stimulation). Functional connectivity was analyzed using a seed-based approach. In HC, no differences were found between the three conditions, indicating that their networks are already working at high level. UWS patients showed impaired functional connectivity within all resting-state networks. In addition, functional connectivity of the auditory network was modulated by preferred music and aversive auditory stimulation. Hence, both conditions have the potential to modulate brain activity of UWS patients.

Keywords: auditory stimulation; disorders of consciousness; neurological early rehabilitation; resting-state fMRI; unresponsive wakefulness syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Functional connectivity in HC subjects and UWS patients during scanner noise for different RSNs (auditory, default mode, executive control) (thresholded height-level p < 0.0009; cluster-level FWE-corrected p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Differences in functional connectivity between HC subjects and UWS patients during scanner noise for different RSNs (auditory, default mode, executive control). Regions are shown in which HC show greater functional connectivity compared to UWS (thresholded height-level p < 0.0009; cluster-level FWE-corrected p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of intrinsic network connectivity between HC subjects and UWS patients during scanner noise for different RSNs (Mann-Whitney U-test: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Alterations of resting-state functional connectivity in UWS patients in the auditory network (preferred music > control condition and aversive auditory stimulation > control condition), (thresholded height-level p < 0.0009; cluster-level FWE-corrected p < 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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