TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex differences in effects of tDCS and language treatments on brain functional connectivity in primary progressive aphasia
AU - Licata, Abigail E.
AU - Zhao, Yi
AU - Herrmann, Olivia
AU - Hillis, Argye E.
AU - Desmond, John
AU - Onyike, Chiadi
AU - Tsapkini, Kyrana
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting language functions. Neuromodulatory techniques (e.g., transcranial direct current stimulation, active-tDCS) and behavioral (speech-language) therapy have shown promising results in treating speech and language deficits in PPA patients. One mechanism of active-tDCS efficacy is through modulation of network functional connectivity (FC). It remains unknown how biological sex influences FC and active-tDCS or language treatment(s). In the current study, we compared sex differences, induced by active-tDCS and language therapy alone, in the default mode and language networks, acquired during resting-state fMRI in 36 PPA patients. Using a novel statistical method, the covariate-assisted-principal-regression (CAPs) technique, we found sex and age differences in FC changes following active-tDCS. In the default mode network (DMN): (1) men (in both conditions) showed greater FC in DMN than women. (2) men who received active-tDCS showed greater FC in the DMN than men who received language-treatment only. In the language network: (1) women who received active-tDCS showed significantly greater FC across the language network than women who received sham-tDCS. As age increases, regardless of sex and treatment condition, FC in language regions decreases. The current findings suggest active-tDCS treatment in PPA alters network-specific FC in a sex-dependent manner.
AB - Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting language functions. Neuromodulatory techniques (e.g., transcranial direct current stimulation, active-tDCS) and behavioral (speech-language) therapy have shown promising results in treating speech and language deficits in PPA patients. One mechanism of active-tDCS efficacy is through modulation of network functional connectivity (FC). It remains unknown how biological sex influences FC and active-tDCS or language treatment(s). In the current study, we compared sex differences, induced by active-tDCS and language therapy alone, in the default mode and language networks, acquired during resting-state fMRI in 36 PPA patients. Using a novel statistical method, the covariate-assisted-principal-regression (CAPs) technique, we found sex and age differences in FC changes following active-tDCS. In the default mode network (DMN): (1) men (in both conditions) showed greater FC in DMN than women. (2) men who received active-tDCS showed greater FC in the DMN than men who received language-treatment only. In the language network: (1) women who received active-tDCS showed significantly greater FC across the language network than women who received sham-tDCS. As age increases, regardless of sex and treatment condition, FC in language regions decreases. The current findings suggest active-tDCS treatment in PPA alters network-specific FC in a sex-dependent manner.
KW - Functional connectivity
KW - Language therapy
KW - Primary progressive aphasia (PPA)
KW - Sex differences
KW - Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103329
DO - 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103329
M3 - Article
C2 - 36701874
AN - SCOPUS:85146999089
SN - 2213-1582
VL - 37
JO - NeuroImage: Clinical
JF - NeuroImage: Clinical
M1 - 103329
ER -