Altered Functional Connectivity of Large-Scale Brain Networks in Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction Associated with Cognitive Impairments

Sitong Feng,1,2 Linrui Dong,1,2 Bin Yan,3 Sisi Zheng,1,2 Zhengtian Feng,1,2 Xue Li,1,2 Jiajia Li,1,2 Ning Sun,3 Yanzhe Ning,1,2 Hongxiao Jia1,2 1Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hongxiao Jia; Yanzhe Ning, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 010-58303065, Email jhxlj@ccmu.edu.cn; ningzy0923@mail.ccmu.edu.cnPurpose: Several studies have demonstrated that psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) patients potentially suffer from cognitive dysfunction. Despite that previous neuroimaging studies have reported abnormal functional connections of brain areas associated with cognitive function in pED, the underlying mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in pED remain elusive. This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction by analyzing large-scale brain networks.Patients and Methods: A total of 30 patients with pED and 30 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study and scanned by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The Dosenbach Atlas was used to define large-scale networks across the brain. The resting-state functional connectivity (FC) within and between large-scale brain networks was calculated to compare pED patients with HCs. The relationship among cognitive performances and altered FC of large-scale brain networks was further explored in pED patients.Results: Our results showed that the decreased FC within visual network, and between visual network and default mode network, visual network and ...