Characteristics of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar structural covariance network in Meige syndrome

The traditional perspective posits that Meige syndrome is a movement disorder primarily attributed to basal ganglia dysfunction. With advancements in neuroimaging technology, particularly the advent of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), numerous morphometric studies have unveiled subtle alterations in whole-brain gray matter structure. Consequently, the conceptualization of Meige syndrome as a network disorder has gained increasing acceptance. Prior research has indicated that cortico-subcortical structural connectivity changes are implicated in movement disorders and appear to contribute to disease development and progression. However, the organizational pattern of cortico-subcortical structural networks in Meige syndrome remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed morphometric MRI data from 46 patients with Meige syndrome and 46 healthy controls (HC) using a Winner-take-all (WTA) strategy to construct a cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar (CSTC) structural covariance network with five cortical partitions. Structural covariance networks corresponding to each cortical partition were compared via permutation tests, and the modular effects of disease duration on these networks were examined, Our findings reveal the heterogeneity of cortico-subcortical structural covariance network characteristics across different cortical regions and elucidate the disruption process of cortico-subcortical structural connectivity over extended time scales, with particular susceptibility observed in the thalamus. This study provides novel imaging evidence for understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the occurrence and progression of Meige syndrome.